A Mask Could Never Hide Us From Each Other
by sctwilightvampwolfgal
Summary: Ladybug and Adrien almost danced around each other in so many ways, but their love was truer than you'd ever believe. *Oneshot collection written for Ladrien June.*
1. Accidental Reveal

It had been an accident when he'd rushed off to go see her, forgetting that he was transformed right now, and that she'd be waiting for Adrien, not Cat Noir. Excitement bounced and clattered around in his bones, and yet when he'd slid to a start, looking more like an excited puppy dog than a feline themed hero, he remembered last second. She didn't look up at him, her feet dangled over the edge into the pond before her, sitting on stones, and framed by pale moonlight. She was gorgeous.

She'd always been, and so Adrien's heart gave a brief stutter and a wild flip somewhere in his chest before three words came to mind, one of them being a name. He whispered them, just eager to be done with the suit, to be standing before Ladybug as the man that she was waiting for so serenely, someone who couldn't be right here so quick, and yet his words hadn't been whispered fast enough since she turned around to only lock eyes on him.

"Adrien?" Was her soft murmur, and his heart practically gave out and died on him.

"Y-Yeah?" His mutter was barely audible past the beating in his eyes and the sudden onslaught of nerves as he looked into startled blue eyes and realized that just Ladybug and Adrien would have a completely different feel to it now.

"My silly kitty." Her eyes looked lost, kind of unsure of herself, "I've been all that you saw for some time. How could I not see it?" She stepped closer, and the moonlight lost its edge around her, lost the bright effect that had made her look like an angel with her spandex covered feet in the pond.

"Mi'lady?" It came out as more than a stammer than a term of endearment, as more of something that should have been kept silent than a name.

"Mon Chaton." She stepped closer and sighed, "I guess it's time then." She glanced up at the full moon as if stealing confidence from it, "Tikki, spots off." Before him stood a familiar woman, a face that he couldn't forget whether it was all pink and stammering or heartfelt and sincere; he knew Marinette much better now and yet it wasn't perfect. She'd been a riddle or a puzzle that he'd been trying to solve for so long now.

"My Princess?" It felt out of his lips before he could stop it, but her face lit up with a bright smile and tears filled her eyes regardless. They definitely wouldn't just be Ladybug and Adrien anymore.

"My Kitty." She breathed, and stepped up to him; it felt all the world like Ladybug was stepping closer to him, like he was just Adrien, all confidence lost and zapped away in an instant, and he felt nervous like he always had whenever she stepped closer to kiss him. It felt as if Ladybug still could be at the pond, looking ethereal and lovely, though there was something more to her now as well. She was his Ladybug regardless of whether she was transformed or not, and he was her Adrien, the boy that she'd planned to meet tonight out by the pond after a patrol that accidentally dragged on too long with many, little surprises dragging it out. In this moment, they appeared like Ladybug and Adrien despite the reflection in the pond showing different, showing just Adrien and Marinette.

She'd always be his Ladybug, his lady, and he'd always willingly be her 'model' citizen, the love of her life, because masks never could stop or isolate their love that grew more and more with every passing day.


	2. Babysitting

"Ladybug, could you please help protect my class? I know you're busy, but I'm a little worried since I was Akumatized and almost every student of mine has been. I'm really worried about both Adrien and Marinette, and our school seems to be a target for Hawkmoth." Ms. Bustier stared up into the young heroine's eyes, a plea that Ladybug would feel kind of bad for ignoring.

"I guess there's no harm if I sit through a lesson or two..." Ladybug trailed off, nervous to say, 'no,' to her favorite teacher that she'd ever had, and respect, falling likes rocks in her inside. She had been taught to respect her elders, and besides all of that, she really did respect Caline Bustier, and actually looked up to her as some sort of role model. The woman was kind all the way down to her soul, and Marinette had always wanted to be more like her, so saying, 'no,' to such a genuine question actually felt like ripping her insides apart with guilt.

"Oh, thank you." Ms. Bustier smiled at her, "I know that I'll feel much safer with you there."

Such a kind woman, and still, Ladybug felt guilt cling to her; she just couldn't say, 'no,' especially since there had been another Akuma attack in the school just earlier today. Besides, what if Adrien got Akumatized? He had it tough enough as is, and Ladybug dreaded the thought of her crush being put through that. Nevermind the fact that for some reason, she couldn't quite imagine Adrien and Cat Noir being in the same room despite the fact that they'd been in the same place during the fight against Gorizilla.

She was such a lost cause when Adrien came up that she wondered how she'd even managed to think straight during any Akuma battel when Adrien was nearby. Either way, she had a duty to be there protecting Ms. Bustier's classroom against whomever may be Akumatized next.

* * *

She'd ended up here, basically babysitting her whole class due to the sudden onslaught of Akumas even though really, Ladybug should be out and about protecting them if need be or actually in class as her civilian self. She wondered really how they'd managed to easily enough convince her that this was a good idea especially since she'd had to deal with the fact that some were genuinely worried that Marinette had gotten Akumatized.  
She wondered if she'd survive, feeling Adrien's stare on her throughout the whole class period though he was trying to be discrete, Ladybug felt every hair on end stand up from the eyes riveted on her. If she so much as looked his way though, he glanced away, and so she knew that she'd have to just ignore it for the sake of her grades even though honestly Ladybug shouldn't be sitting in class when Marinette should be.

It felt a lot like watching over her principal when he was messing up at trying to help out being a superhero and yet ten times worse, because she couldn't focus quite right and since she felt like she was doing next to nothing. Ignoring the impulse to answer whenever anyone called her civilian name wasn't really helping her sanity anyway.

"So Ladybug, want to eat lunch with us? Normally, Marinette's here, but I think she'd understand if we invited you along." Alya leaned forward, voice nothing more than a whisper, and yet Ladybug found herself half tempted to say, 'yes,' even though that meant more babysitting duty, and she really could be doing something far more productive with her day, like detransforming and attending the rest of her classes as Marinette.

"My bro actually got permission to eat lunch with us too." Nino added with a smile and jabbed his thumb in Adrien's direction, because while Marinette would know who he was talking about, Ladybug likely wouldn't.

Temptation pooled in her belly, and she hated herself just a little bit for saying, "Yes," but she'd been all too curious if Adrien would act on all of his staring or just gaze at her with that lovelorn look on his face that she was pretty sure that she felt all over her skin, much hotter than the sun could ever be.

* * *

"So what's it like being a superhero?" Alya asked from next to her, half acting like it was a perfectly normal thing to eat lunch with a superhero.

Much to Ladybug's disappointment, Adrien had yet to act on his staring, but she had caught the look on his face, and it did funny things to her insides. She doubted that going back to school as Marinette would be easy after this, but she didn't dare want to skip as her civilian self for just the little bit of joy that nestled deep in her belly.

"It isn't easy." Ladybug sighed, straightening up on pure instinct alone, "It makes me live a bit of a double life too, since I somehow have to keep both sides of me separate." She was thankful that Alya didn't have her phone out and therefore wasn't formally interviewing her, probably based off of some instinct that Alya would be hounded with fans of Ladybug all day and wouldn't be able to ask more than one question if they found them.

"So is there anyone out there that you'd tell your secret to if you could?" Alya looked curious, beyond curious, "I know you can't, because it wouldn't be right as it would put them into danger, but if you could, without that, would you?"

"There are people that I would tell if I could, if it didn't put them at risk." She smiled as she thought of her parents, Alya, Adrien, and Cat Noir. She'd tell her partner first of course since he'd deserved the right to know the most, but she would probably try to tell Adrien at some point and hopefully he wouldn't be disappointed with who it is. Telling her teachers would make it easier to avoid situations like today too.

"Oh." Alya smiled, "I'm not going to ask who they are. You know me." Alya shot her a look that reminded her of their shared secret over Rena Rouge's identity, and Ladybug felt immensely thankful that the reporter didn't add anything else.

"You've been awfully quiet today," Ladybug shot a playful look at Adrien, thankful for the added confidence of her suit, especially when he blushed, and all that she wanted to do was somehow eat it up. Kiss him and see if the blush grew redder. Ladybug couldn't help that her skin turned pink at the thought, but she was definitely glad to not be 'that' impulsive.

"Y-Yeah, it's not everyday when one of Paris's superheroes goes to school with you." Adrien stammered, and Ladybug couldn't help but find it absolutely adorable.

'If only you knew, Adrien.' "It's probably more than a little odd." Ladybug said out loud, careful to not say her first thoughts. If she did, he'd probably piece together her secret identity faster than anyone else since Marinette was the only student absent in Ms. Bustier's class today.

"I-It's great, but I'm sure that you have something better to do than babysitting teenagers today." Adrien muttered before he could stop himself.

"I-It's fine." Ladybug shrugged, "I've had an interesting day anyway." Despite feeling mostly unproductive, it had certainly boosted her confidence at least a little and been kind of fun to see how everyone reacted to her, minus the fact that she wondered if they even saw a hint of her civilian identity with her since it would be a little unnerving if someone found out her identity today.

"O-Okay." Adrien muttered, and Ladybug felt the impulse nearly take her over to fix a strand of his hair that had fallen out of place; well, took her over as she realized just a second too late. Adrien's face was redder than the ripest tomato in the world, and all that Ladybug wanted to do was run off and hide, especially since her face was fast becoming just that same shade of red which surely looked absurd with her scarlet and black suit.

"Th-Thank you for having me, but I just realized that I need to be somewhere." The words couldn't leave her throat fast enough as she rushed home to detransform and somehow make it back to school and explain with some weak excuse why she was late to begin with. Sometimes, babysitting teenagers. particularly your fellow classmates, made you too confident.


	3. Kwami Swap

"C-Cat Noir?" Adrien stared up to meet catlike eyes that rather than being a vivid green were a bright, oceanic blue; he could swim or rather drown in them all day long if the feline themed superheroine ever let him.

"Yes?" She smiled, and it was all levels of shy and adorable; Adrien had to bite his lip to avoid gushing over how cute she looked. Cat Noir stood like a cat themed hero of all of his dreams: made brave by her partner, LadyBeetle, adorable in every way, every side of her. Her initial skittishness was cute, her bravery to rise up past the obstacles laid before her was even cuter, her loyalty and honesty remain some of her best assets.

"Hi." Adrien wondered if there was any way to take that squeak right back and hide it deep in his throat and appear more put together around her; it wasn't everyday that you ran into a superheroine during a break at one of your photo shoots, especially when you had the biggest crush ever on her.

"Hey." Her eyes simply begged for something to happen even as they held amusement in their depths, "How's the shoot?" She leaned back, going for casually flirtatious, though nearly stumbling over her tail as if she hadn't gotten used to it in these past few months of being a hero. She was so adorably dorky.

"It's going about as well as they do." Adrien shrugged, kind of bored before the feline superheroine shown up, but not quite wanting to admit it to her. It had lost its allure earlier on today when nothing seemed unique or even the least bit fascinating. The only part that had stood out to him was when his photographer had wanted him to look in love, to imagine a girl that he really liked if there was one, and just the most delicious bowl of hot spaghetti if there wasn't one. He'd of course imagined Cat Noir, imagined what it would be like to see her again since it had been a few days, and wondered if one day, with the largest of hope in his heart, if she'd ever return his affections, his interest.

"Ah," She smiled at him, "Interesting designs at least?" She questioned, and he immediately wondered if she liked fashion, if she paid attention to his face all over billboards or wherever. His heart gave a hopeful pull in his chest that he knew better than to believe in.

"I don't know." Adrien didn't pay too much attention to the clothes, usually just focused on looking good wearing them which was a lot more work than people probably will ever know. He didn't have an eye for fashion really, and without his father's designs and ideals, he'd probably show up at school with a flower crown or some weird T-Shirt with some kind of pun on it. Lately, ladybug puns were his favorite other than cat puns, but Cat Noir hated it whenever he told her that she was the cat's meow. May be one day, she'll actually believe it. Would she now though? She was standing here when she could have been doing whatever else, and his heart gave a steady lurch in his chest that threatened to make his legs give out on him.

Temptation or hope of this being more than just a casual, friendly visit sprang up in his chest as he tried to force it back down.

"Aww," Cat Noir's smile made him melt on the inside, just enough of a pout that it was adorable, and honestly would she kill him if he tried to kiss her right now? He sure hoped not, because she was pawsitively adorable right now, pawsibly even more than he'd ever seen her.

"So do you like fashion?" Adrien leaned back, trying to lean back oh, so casually, and actually succeeding with a small amount of grace. Thank goodness that he didn't fall backwards into his dressing room, because surely, there was only so many times that he could look like a fool in front of her. Nevermind the fact that she'd struggled earlier trying to get that pose right.

"I love it!" Cat Noir shifted, scarf tail twirling around her leg, "I want to be a fashion designer one day." Her clawed hands flew up to cover her mouth as if just realizing what she said. It sort of explained the cute, scarf tail anyway.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Adrien bit back a chuckle, slightly worried that she'd misunderstand it; she was just so cute!


	4. Protecting

There was only so much to say when you were protecting your not so secret boyfriend from Akumas left to right or when that suddenly stopped being the biggest threat.

Ladybug couldn't help but glance down at her boyfriend and feel like the worst girlfriend in the world as he nestled up to her in his sleep, and as she just wished that she could wish this away. Honestly, the safe house that they were at wasn't much really, especially when it didn't stop her parents' worry when some nights it became hard for her to come home.

She always had to sneak out of the building as her civilian self to avoid suspicion, and there was only so many times that she could beg to go to Alya's place to stay the night to avoid too many questions from her parents. Likewise for Alix, Juleka, and the other girls that had started to become her excuse. She'd even once insisted that she was staying at Chloe's hotel; it was only acceptable as an excuse since the two of them had grown closer later, not super close or friends really, but there was understanding there somehow.

Either way, her blue eyes gazed down at her boyfriend, his still missing ring, and the few marks left over from the fight that she would have been at if he'd just told her. Getting his ring back would be a real pain without his help and support, but then again, her life had only gotten more complicated and confusing when he'd admitted his identity to her in search of her support and protection. Now, she felt like she weighed him down, but she'd try her best to remain strong for his sake. He was her whole world and then some; besides, if she'd came here for something other than comforting cuddles and for lookout duty, she was positive that her parents would have noticed, and then she'd be completely busted.

* * *

Hawkmoth wasn't easy to beat even if she knew where his evil lair had to be now, and it certainly wasn't easy to fight daily Akumas by herself, but Ladybug would give her whole life to protecting Adrien if need be. Most teenagers she knew weren't ready for that commitment, but when you're a superhero, and your superhero boyfriend temporarily can't defend himself, there's only so much you can do.

She'd loved Adrien for so long lately, and Cat Noir had started to worm his way into her heart no matter how hard she'd fought it; just the knowledge that they were one in the same soothed her. Still, her heart has belonged to Adrien so long there, that most people would have started charging rent on it as if it were a house. She was never the sort to give up on him though or trade his love for anything in the world: be it fame, money, or even a legacy built on her designs.

Now, just staring at her fashion designer idol put sickness in her stomach and made her practically irrationally angry. All the terrible things he'd put his son through hurt her like driving a lance through her chest, but she lived for every precious moment of hers by Adrien's side anyway.

* * *

"Ladybug? What would it be like if I knew who you were?" Adrien stared up at her, wide, still sort of sleepy, green eyes lit a fire across her chest and made her heart dance in love for him. Even if these kinds of moments were often just bittersweet, she felt love seep into every aspect of her being and appreciated them regardless.

"We'd be able to kiss and cuddle in public. If my parents accepted me having a boy living up in my room, you'd be able to sleep there rather than here." It killed her that she couldn't spend every night here and still had to attend class even though her boyfriend couldn't. She'd taken to delivering his school assignments, pretending that it wasn't her civilian self grabbing them though he never asked either way.

"And they're good people?" Adrien stared up at her, and Ladybug hated herself for wanting to tell him everything that he asked her.

"Yeah, you've met them before. They probably already started planning our wedding out actually." She leaned against his side, "I've had the biggest crush on you since the second day that we met."

"I'm just glad that I'm with you," And even though they were in a safe house in the middle of Paris, hiding out from his father, he cuddled closer to her, and Ladybug never felt more at him. Every sweet word, the knowledge that he knew her way better now even with the mask still in place, and the fact that she'd probably just given her civilian identity away even though he loved her without knowing it, made her somehow even happier. Her kitty, her 'model citizen,' meant the world to her even if worry and nerves took them over half the time in their little hideout together. It still somehow felt like her favorite place to be, a home away from home, but she knew that that was due to the man that she was protecting, her boyfriend, her whole world whether he's realized it yet or not.


	5. Saved From The Paparazzi Or Fans

Sometimes being one of the city's main two superheroes was a pain, not that she didn't love spending time with as many Parisions as she could, but there wasn't as much time in the world to speak to every single one of them when she really, really had to somehow get back, not end up at every media outlet on the way to just simply see her friends. Somehow, her tendency to enjoy talking to her fans or to any Parisian for the most part led to her trying to entertain every single one of them.

"Ladybug?" A voice called from the other side of her, and where she felt mostly dread in her tendency to not willingly jump away, her heart raced and yet relief from the stress of talking to everyone on her way to meet her friends on what was supposed to be a quick way when she was already running behind became impossible to dwell in her belly. She shifted, and the only relief that came to her was the fact that at least she wasn't the only friend of hers also running behind.

"Yeah?" She muttered, feeling a bit overwhelmed and slightly drained, and then there was a hand in her gloved one, and they were off running as fast as they could.

She clung to that hand for dear life as they took to the Parisian streets faster than she'd ever considered just a moment ago, "Sorry that it's not as fast or effective as your yoyo, but I know how overwhelming crowds like that can be, so I thought I'd try to save you for once. It's the least that I could do for the superheroine of Paris." That voice murmured in her ear, and her insides yet again turned to goo.

"My hero." She cooed, and if it came out a little hoarse, they both ignored it, "Thank you for being my knight in everyday clothes." She leaned against Adrien, still feeling the pitter patter of her heart and trying to pretend that she isn't melting through all levels on the inside.

"It's the least that I could do." Adrien smiled at her, hand still held in hers, "Where were you going if you don't mind me asking?"

"Just to meet up with my friends, but I thought being Ladybug was quicker." She glanced behind her, wondering why she'd ever consider the suit making her quicker. Ladybug was much more agile and quick than Marinette, but Ladybug came with the downside of being famous and thus caught by fans every now and again.

"Oh," Adrien murmured, holding her hand ever tighter, "Just tell me if you need to rush off to transform and catch up with your friends."

"Right now would be good, so that we're not too close." Ladybug told him and let go of his hand reluctantly; she'd miss the proximity and the warmth of his touch, but she needed to get away before he realizes that she's rejoining him later on.

* * *

"Adrien! Adrien? Look here, talk to us." Voices rang out on the street, and Ladybug tried to ignore her headache from the shrill voices calling out from the street as she tried to return a favor from a little while ago.  
"Adrien?" She called out, remembering how he'd caught her attention by the use of her name that day, and she smiled as he looked up at her and as she stuck a finger over her lips. Ladybug used her yoyo to slowly descend, and she wrapped her arms around her crush's waist and carried him up, up, and away from those near her.

"Ladybug?" He muttered as she carried him off through the rooftops.

"Just returning the favor that a knight paid for me." Ladybug held him tighter in her arms, "Sadly, it doesn't come with any handholding."

"My knight in spots." Adrien responded, "My hero. It comes with holding though."

"That it does." She murmured, "Thank you so much for that day."

"Anything for the superheroine of Paris." Adrien murmured, right up close to her ear from where he lay in her arms.

"Then I'll always call you, my hero." She responded softly, "After all, you saved me when I was a little overwhelmed." Ladybug rather liked calling Adrien her hero, and at the end of the day, they'd each helped each other out and got to spend a few more precious moments with each other, "Where were you off to anyway?"

"Just to meet up with my best friend, Nino." Adrien muttered, "I finally got time off, and I thought that may be I'd walk since it was such a nice day."  
"Want a ride there? It's not as fancy as your limo, I'd bet." She nudged him with one of her hands, "But it keeps you off the crowded streets."

"Sure." Adrien smiled up at her, "It might be a better day for a ride by yoyo than by foot anyway."

Ladybug couldn't wipe the smile off of her face for the rest of the day no matter what happened nor could she forget the gentle warmth of Adrien in her arms. Sometimes being a superhero wasn't that bad.


	6. Andre's Ice Cream

Finally catching up to Andre's ice cream with Adrien by her side felt so surreal; there was no better word for it.

Fingers intertwined, the only thing between them was her mask, and she felt so alive, just seeing the delighted spark in Andre's eyes should have set off an alarm in her own head. He hadn't looked like that, so chipper and almost mischievous and yet not really all that mischievous, and she'd never counted that somehow he may have known more than he let on to.

"Ladybug, Adrien?" He spoke up, all jovial and innocent, "You're finally together." Andre smiled as he started making their ice cream, "I'm so happy to see the two of you again and together this time."

"You've been here before, Ladybug?" Adrien blinked innocent green eyes up at her, and her insides became slightly wracked with nerves.

"N-Not as Ladybug?" Honesty was probably the best policy though she dreaded may be revealing too much about her identity to the man selling them ice cream.

Adrien glanced back over at Andre, "So how did you know?" The dear didn't even ask who she was. Ladybug was more than glad that her boyfriend wasn't inconsiderate as far as secret identities go since it was still supposed to be a secret.

"Andre sees the heart." He motioned over towards them, "A mask can't hide it."

Adrien's stunned surprise lit up his face with almost excitement, "Do you think we'll be like that one day?"

"With each other, hopefully." Ladybug answered, half nervous when Andre leaned closer to her.

"Marinette, was it? I'm glad that you found him." He smiled as he told them their ice cream flavors, picked with them in mind, and handed over the ice cream for them to share.

It really was a dream come true to be sharing Andre's ice cream with Adrien despite how nerve wracking Andre knowing her identity was, but she figured that he'd probably keep it a secret since he hadn't even told Adrien, just her.

Ladybug would focus on today, sharing soulmate based ice cream with the boy that with every passing day that she was falling more in love with, the boy that she'd imagined sharing said ice cream with a while ago and even thought that the colors fit him once she'd actually considered it. They kind of fit Cat Noir too, but that was more of a coincidence since she was getting ice cream with Adrien and not her feline partner that probably would have said at least one pun right now.

Ladybug scooted closer to Adrien on the bench, snuggling up against his warm side, and just relaxed against him; she just knew that somehow they'd get through this, and while one day, she hoped to be here as her civilian self, today filled one of her age old dreams regardless. Besides if Adrien truly, truly loved Ladybug, he'd surely love the girl behind the mask just as much.


	7. Prince(ss) Style

Adrien could get used to this, half wanting to curl up into her arms like some overspoiled, affectionate kitten, but really, she only ever carried him away when there was an Akuma nearby, and yet his skin never listened to reason, just tingled everywhere that was pressed against her. His heart didn't listen to logic either as it raised in her hold as if it had never discovered anything near as exhilarating as being in Ladybug's arms; it felt so different than when it raised after an intense fencing match or an intense basketball game. It was so different than pushing himself to his limits; even Akuma battles had no hold on this steady lurch inside his chest.

If he could choose, he'd choose to stay in her arms forever. There was just something so precious about being this close to her, something so heart racingly good, and he could never get enough like her arms were his own brand of drug. He'd nuzzle them like a cat nuzzling cat nip if she wouldn't find it weird and possibly drop him, so he'd try not to let anyone know that being in her arms half dazed him, even if his bright red face kind of gave that away. He couldn't dare hope that if she was in his arms, she'd be as happy and content.

Adrien sometimes wondered if he was too cat like to want to curl up tighter in her arms like it was the finest bed ever or purr at just her touch. She could hold him forever if she wanted to though now while running from an Akuma, may be he shouldn't start asking for that. They had important things to do, eggs to crack, and he really, really wanted to be in her arms on a nonstressful day. 'I love you,' would remain just a thought inside his head until he could actually manage to say it to her without sounding all too sudden or completely weird.

For now, he'd just enjoy being in her arms with the steady warmth, her surprising amount of strength that may in part have come from the suit though it wouldn't be the first time that he wondered if she could pick him up as her civilian self, whoever she may be. It would be just as lovely as this if she could though it would come with the added bonus of skin to skin contact. May be she'd let him nuzzle up against her unmasked face. He tried to push those thoughts from his head as she probably wouldn't like it so much to know that his mind was wandering down what was just impossibilities right now.

He was pretty sure that nuzzling her was more cat like than gentlemanly anyway, and besides, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to get that question out of his throat if he wanted to.

* * *

It was like her wildest dream becoming reality, while every nerve ending stood up as if on fire, and even if this was only a few seconds here in paradise, she'd latch on to them with the best of her ability.

Ladybug confidence being the only encouragement for her to rest her head on his shoulder and just relax while every part of her body seemed to tingle from his touch alone, and as her thoughts wondered down to further fantasies. May be Adrien would be very much, old school romantic and carry her as a civilian over the threshold to their new house once they got married. She could just imagine that the skin to skin contact with positively fry her, and she'd love every second of being in his arms.

Honestly, sometimes Ladybug could like Akumas if they'd always land her in this kind of position where instinct made Adrien carry her princess style away from a wild Akuma like she'd often carried him prince style; that's what she'd call it anyway since Adrien after all was her dream prince. She couldn't help it if her heart raced many, many miles a minute or if her face bloomed as scarlet as her suit under a blush. She'd fallen all kinds of head over heels for this man and to just be in his arms right now fueled her belly with a rush of emotions that weren't just summed up as elation; it was so much more than that!

She could be held in Adrien's arms all day if he'd let her and if there wasn't an Akuma somewhere behind them tearing up all of Paris. Ladybug just wasn't sure how she'd be able to stand when he set her down, because she was positively sure that her legs had melted to goo just as she was sure that Adrien's heart was racing just as fast as hers was and that his face felt warm with what was probably a blush of his own. Oh, she couldn't be happier!


	8. Secret Meeting

It started with a letter, heart poured so desperately on to the page, and all that she could do was feel her heart come to yearn for him even more, because among the newest poem in the growing collection that she may or may not have been keeping was a simple request. 'I know a place that's quiet and away from the city, do you, Ladybug, want to meet there with me? I want to get to know you better.' Adrien's handwriting could give her a heart attack with how beautifully his it was though she'd never admit to just how much control he had over her life. She'd die for him if need be, and never feel the sting of death.

She shifted, staring down at it, eager to meet it, eager to find out, and she couldn't resist wanting to know just where this place was and letting it become just theirs. The rest of the world would fade away if she and Adrien got caught up in each other, and she knew this, had dreamed of this moment, and all the joy that it would bring.

Ladybug wasn't sure if her throat was dry or if she'd just lost all ability to speak as tears welled up in her eyes; it felt like a dream but wasn't. By golly, she loved this boy with all that was left of her heart. He'd snatched it away from her on a day filled with rain and some honesty, a bright laugh, and an umbrella. He'd stolen her breath with that laugh even when she'd awkwardly tried to join in, and all that she could see was that boy that stole her heart away, stole her voice like it was nothing, the boy that introduced her to a love like this whether her partner ended up teaching her about sacrificial love or not.

Her heart as torn as it was becoming was alright, just she felt like a dream, a wisp floating away towards the sunlight, losing her ability to remain grounded. Could she have this at least? Reach out and just let Adrien in just like that? It felt like a dream come true and yet not enough. She wanted him to know how her heart sang for him, how it broke when he seemed too far away as if he belonged to a different galaxy, one that she wasn't even allowed to orbit in. Now, she had a chance, and that chance could very well be the death of her. She just loved him so much that even if he left her, her heart would still sing for him, she'd still long for his happiness. She'd gotten in way too deep, and yet she never found the words to explain this to Alya who may have well just known somehow about it. Ladybug's parents at least as well as Tikki had been the voices that reassured her about all of this even when she'd had her doubts, feelings slightly peeking in for other people; her heart still stayed fast on Adrien as if it truly belonged there.

* * *

"You talked about a meeting place?" She had no idea how her yoyo held her up when her hands threatened to shake on her as she talked to Adrien through his now open window.

"Y-Yeah," Adrien's face pinked, but Ladybug's nerves bounced up and down without fail and without end, so she wasn't sure if she could appreciate it on top of everything else. She just needed to hear from his mouth and not just his pencil or pen. She needed it verbalized, needing it to grace the air around them.

"Where is it? I just happen to know that I'd like to get to know you better too." Ladybug was honest, tried to keep her heart from collapsing and somehow falling down through her toes and getting lost somewhere on the Parisian streets.

"A little outside of Paris. I can show you." His face turned even redder as he rushed to slip on his orange tennis shoes and grab his bag laying just against his wall. He looked just as frazzled with sudden nerves as she did, but she had no idea how to handle this, how to calm him down, and calm herself down.

* * *

Behind a thin outcropping of trees laid a small field with a pond just sitting outside of it, stones across the waterline, smooth and just right to be sat upon.

"Adrien, this is beautiful." Ladybug couldn't help her awe or her surprise.  
"I-I just figured that you'd like some place private, somewhere no one in Paris could think to look for us at." Adrien's face turned a deeper pink at Ladybug's awe and wonder.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want Hawkmoth to find out or for you to be targeted. We don't need you Akumatized or more Akumas sent after you." Ladybug sat down, spandex covered feet coming to rest in the water, "Come join me." Her one gloved hand patted the ground next to her, and so Adrien stepped forward to sit down there.

"I'm glad that you like it. I just discovered it about a week ago, actually." His ears turned pink, and belatedly, he hoped that she thought that it was just a photo shoot nearby and not that he'd discovered it after that Akuma that took them further out of Paris in its mad hunt and that had exhausted and worn them both out. The less she knew about that, the better, because she'd already denied one private date with Cat Noir, he didn't need another one on his record. Not when, he adored her, would die for her, had technically died for her before, and he'd sacrifice everything for her. He figured that it was true love though he sure had no one to talk about this to, especially without compromising his secret identity. He was never the lucky one.

"It's a special kind of place." Ladybug leaned against his side, looking all the world like the happiest superhero ever, not realizing that Adrien felt kind of like that too.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Adrien regretted leaning away instantly as he reached for his bag and grabbed his bag, to sift through it. It was his emergency pack if she'd ever said, 'yes,' that he'd prepared to dazzle her.

"What are you doing?" Ladybug gazed down at him, watching like a hawk as he pulled out the makings of a simple picnic.

"Trying to make you happy. I'd never want to screw up my chance to make you happy on a date like this." He set down the picnic blanket and carefully laid their food on it on little plates that he'd grabbed from the kitchen a few days ago, narrowly avoiding getting in trouble.

"Adrien, you don't have to. This is too much!" But her joy was palpable, and Adrien felt so happy when she pressed closer and laid a gloved hand gently over his ungloved one. Electricity shot up Adrien's arm without fail.

"I do have too." Adrien informed her as if she'd never gotten the chance to know it before.

Hours passed as if they were mere minutes as they shared food and talked about anything that came to mind that didn't compromise their identities, and so night fell over the little pond and over the two that were so caught up with each other that they didn't notice it at first.

"Oh, I better get you home before your dad or someone else notices that you aren't there." Ladybug's face turned pink behind her scarlet mask, and she leaned forward and kissed both of Adrien's cheeks, "Thank you for this. This was absolutely incredible."  
"Y-You're welcome. You deserve a nice day out." Adrien muttered, still a little dazed that Ladybug kissed him without trying to trick an Akuma, "C-Can we do this again?"  
"We can." Ladybug muttered, helping Adrien put away the remains of their picnic and picking him back up into her arms to carry him home. Truthfully, one secret meeting or private date at the pond easily became many down the line, leading to a reveal that they'd never have expected or called on at this very place.


	9. Lucky Charm

Fingers toyed nervously with the lucky charm in his hands; he really, really wanted to gift it to her, but he still kind of felt nervous as it was his first gift to her and as he technically was the bad luck to her good luck. Marinette had been happy with the lucky charm that he'd given her as thanks and as a birthday gift for the one that she'd given him all that time ago.

Second time's the charm, right? Ladybug would like the sentiment, right, or would she just find it stupid? She didn't seem the sort to dash hopes and dreams like that anyway.

Adrien swung his finger across the black dotted red bead for what was probably the millionth time as nerves hit him squarely in the chest; gifting the superheroine incarnate of luck, the one that had her own 'version' of Lucky Charms a lucky charm that a model had made left him feeling more than a little nervous and awkward. Would she like it? Did Ladybug accept gifts from fans? Of course, she did, because he'd seen her do so before when he was transformed as he had too.

He had a secret compartment in his closet for secret gifts like those, because if his father or Nathalie or anyone noticed anything about them, he'd have some serious explaining to do.

Adrien toyed with the beaded charm and hoped that Ladybug really did like it for the millionth time, and he just really wanted her to know just who it was from, no masks on his end, though he wouldn't dare step across the threshold of revealing their identities. Ladybug would roast him alive with her frustration and anger probably, and he knew that it really was best to keep their identities a secret from each other. Every now and then he really did wonder.

"Hey, Ladybug! Do you have a second to spare with a civilian?" Adrien called, watching as she nearly yoyoed away from him, just close enough on her patrol route that he caught her just in time. Alya never knew that someone else knew Ladybug's patrol routes better than she did, but he wasn't about to tell her. Ladybug and Cat Noir had discussed them before when they settled on the days and the times and the spare times if something comes up. They'd probably talked it all out completely time and time again.

"Of course, I do." Ladybug dropped to join him on the sidewalk, "What do you need?"  
"I just wanted to give you something, for all the things that you've done for Paris, and for me. You've really kept us safe for all this time, and I thought that may be you deserved some recognition for all your hard work." Nerves ricocheted through Adrien probably every which way now, but he really, really did want to thank her for all of that and more. Some foolish part of him thrilled over giving her a gift, preening at knowing that a part of him is with her as long as she keeps it. The part that she wouldn't see that was for her was his heart which was a lot harder to give away like this, but so easy for her to have taken that day by the Eiffel Tower.

"Oh, thank you." Ladybug's cheeks turned pink past her mask, "And it's so beautiful, Adrien. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to, and you really do deserve it." Adrien wondered if that meant that he was getting better at making lucky charms, "It's a lucky charm. For good luck even though I know that you already have quite a bit of it."

"It's such a thoughtful gift. You were probably working on it for a while. Thank you so much!" She gushed and reached out to give him a hug and a quick, barely there kiss to his cheek.

Adrien's face turned pink, and his throat went dry right before she bid him goodbye and headed off to finish her patrol. Adrien still felt more than a little dazed a few weeks later when a lucky charm was gifted to him that Ladybug, herself, had made at just the reminder of how she'd reacted to his gift.

He was pretty sure that his heart raced harder and faster than he'd ever felt it ago. Adrien doubted that he could be anymore in love with her than he already was.


	10. (Reverse) Balcony Scene

Nerves shot off in her chest as if they couldn't help but bounce off of each other and bound through her, but she stepped closer to knock with trembling hands anyway. Ladybug could be strong and confident, shyness didn't need to cling to her when she was Ladybug, and besides, Adrien liked her, really, truly liked her.

The memory shot off like a rocket, an accidental, overheard conversation, and her heart was off in an even faster dash, her face tinted pink, and she was pretty sure that she couldn't feel her toes anymore.

"L-Ladybug?" Beautiful green eyes looked up and met her blue ones head on, "W-What's going on? Is there an Akuma?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I-I just figured that I'd swing by after my patrol s-since you're up and all." It sounded stupid, definitely, since it was still light out, but she thought that she'd heard Cat Noir say something similar to her before, and it just seemed acceptable. It was supposed to be patrol after all though a little early, because her mind wouldn't stop buzzing, ranting happily to Tikki with confusion and indecision wasn't slowing it down any either, and so she'd needed to clear her head, but in the end, she'd still somehow ended up on Adrien's balcony.

"P-Patrol? Isn't it a little early?" The look on Adrien's face would have made her laugh if she wasn't so nervous and if it wasn't somehow adorable to her. Pleasant confusion mixed with a bit of dazed contemplation. Adrien somehow could be adorable whenever which sort of wasn't fair, but mostly, it just made her heart race and her mind daze as if she could take a quick snapshot of the moment with her mind and remember it forever.

"Yeah, it's earlier than normal." Ladybug blushed, "Kind of needed to just be Ladybug, you know?" Ugh, why did she have to say that? Of course, he didn't know. It wasn't like he was Cat Noir, and he obviously wasn't Ladybug since she was kind of standing before him right now.

"Y-Yeah, I mean, I can imagine." Adrien sighed, looking just as freaked out and embarrassed with what he said as Ladybug felt.

"Y-Yeah." Ladybug took a deep breath before words returned to her, "How was your day? Or did anything interesting happen? Do you have a crush?" She could have just about cursed from stupidity; that last question obviously wasn't like the first two, and if this was a circle the phrase that doesn't belong and so doesn't need to be said list, she'd circle the last one and retract her question.

"Uh," Adrien's face turned fire engine red as he recollected his thoughts, "It was pretty normal. A lot less busy actually, and yeah, I do, I-I guess."

"Awesome." Ladybug muttered, "Hopefully, whoever she is, she's worth it." Ladybug wanted to smack herself silly, because of course, she knew who his crush was or she wouldn't be on his balcony right now.

"Y-Yeah, she is." Adrien muttered, "It's you, actually." She saw the sudden onslaught of shyness before Adrien could duck his face away, and suddenly she wanted to cuddle him closer like a life sized teddy bear.

"O-Oh," Ladybug's face flamed pink at having heard it directed at her this time and not just overheard and hoped for, "The funny thing is, actually it's not funny, but I-I like you too." Why, oh, why do nerves have to still hit her and make her trip over her words when she knew that she didn't have to be nervous anymore? She felt like she'd taken his nerves onto her and just tried to join the whole, massive nerve filled mess together like some failed art project. Ladybug could do without the extra nerves, thanks.

"O-Oh," He repeated, "I-I'm glad." Someone must have blessed him with the ability to better understand this situation than Ladybug did, and she suddenly wondered if it was appropriate to kiss him in gratitude before realizing that it would be a lot less like a gratitude kiss and a lot more like an awkward, first knowing that the other can respond kiss from the two of them. Ladybug didn't really feel like chasing him away with her non-existant kissing skills yet, but may be he'd willingly kiss her in the future once enough time had passed to where he wouldn't just leave from how awkward it is or may be she could somehow ask Tikki for advice though on second thought that would be more awkward than anything. Do Kwamis even kiss?

Ladybug shook her head to clear her thoughts from the semi-disturbing levels of details that placed themselves there along with the images and decided to try to take this one step at a time. Kissing could wait until they were both ready, but right now, they could plan their first date and sit down and get to know each other. Deep breaths and focusing on little, slow steps right now would be a lifesaver if she didn't let her mind get too carried away.

Ladybug was just glad that her mouth didn't spill all of her thoughts out like slippery goo before Adrien, because surely, he'd be just as embarrassed by them as she still was. Secondhand embarrassment would only make this worse, but she'd just shake off whatever embarrassment and let this fade to something else.

"What's your favorite color?" Tumbled forth from her lips, and even though she was positive that that was a little mandane, she was curious, and it definitely was much better than probably most of what she could have said. It would be the first of many that will spill forth between the two of them for the next three hours until they both actually needed to eat dinner and get ready to go to school the next day.


	11. Onesided Reveal

Adrien held his now ringless hand much closer to his chest and glanced carefully around as if feeling eyes seep into his very presence, and he knew that he needed to find his girlfriend fast, but how? His eyes dropped down to the pocket of his jeans, the easiest hiding spot for his phone that he'd likely have to deactivate soon if the throbbing in his hands was enough of an indication. Home wasn't safe, not that it had been much of one in a while, and he knew that he had to trust one person to at the very least protect him.

His fingers ached and trembled as he called her, "Hello?"

"Hi." Her chipper voice answered, "I just transformed."

"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a little bit. I have a bit of an issue." The issue in point being that he had no ring on his finger, no Kwami to transform or protect him, and the fact that he now knew hands down Hawkmoth's identity as the man also knew his. He hadn't just simply lost his ring; his life wasn't that simple or easy.

"Oh, sure. I'll just swing by your house." Ladybug answered so readily.

"No, no, I'm not home." Adrien stared at the sidewalk at his feet, "I'm just sort of wandering." Trying to find places that his father would never, ever think to look for him at. Nino's place was out, Alya would probably ask questions that Adrien couldn't answer, Chloe's dad would tell his dad without fail, Marinette may have not stuttered around him anymore, but her parents probably wouldn't be okay if a guy friend of hers crashed their for a while, and the list could go on. Luka's house wasn't really a good answer either as Luka's house was literally a boat, not too hard to find, or have be searched. His dad could be ruthless especially now as Adrien had rapidly figured out just moments before.

"Okay, want to meet outside that really cute cafe that let us eat there before?" Her voice grew soft and gentle as if sensing her boyfriend's not so happy mood.

"Sure, see you soon." Adrien followed the path there, knowing the way, but also knowing the fact that there had been pictures of the two of them out and about on some of their more 'public' dates: little hole in the wall type places that tended to not be as well known in Paris, places that they'd either wandered to by random, or that they'd spent ages looking up. Those were their more daring dates.

* * *

"What's the matter?" Ladybug stared across from him at the bench just a little ways away from the cafe, to go coffee in hand.

"I have a few things to tell you." Adrien moved his hands away from his coffee as he tried to relax them past the slight strain of recent pain; he'd went through much worse as Cat Noir, but still it wasn't a perfect situation to be in.

"You always wear your ring." Ladybug muttered, reaching a gloved hand out nervously, "You're hurt. What happened? Your dad doesn't ever beat you, right?"

"Not normally." Adrien sighed, "He did hurt me, but he also took my ring. I'm sorry. I'm not much help right now without it."

"Much help? Adrien, I'm so sorry that he hurt you, and I know that ring means a lot to you." Ladybug's voice fell almost too soft again, anxious with worry.

"It meant more than a lot to me. It meant saving Paris by your side." Adrien stared glumly down at his ringless hand again as he picked up his coffee, "I'm sorry that I can't be your partner without it."

"What?" Ladybug blinked in confusion, "Partner?"

"Ladybug, I hate to tell you this only after something like what happened, but I'm Cat Noir or I would be if I still had my ring." Adrien felt like his whole world was collapsing around him, his father was Hawkmoth, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

"Cat?" Confusion lit up her blue eyes as her gaze dropped back to his hand, and he knew that her mind was running through all of the ways that that could have been true, "No wonder you've always trusted me so much."

"Yeah, just I can't go home. I don't have anywhere to go, and I don't want to compromise your identity by staying at your place." Adrien muttered.

"Your father has your ring?" Her blue eyes went really wide, "And he has the book of Miraculous, and he hurt you while you were transformed, didn't he?" Ladybug's blue eyes widened in horror.

"He's Hawkmoth." Adrien muttered glumly, "Now he's just after yours, and probably wants me back home."

"Oh, no." Ladybug groaned, "We'll think of something. Does he know where all of your friends live?"  
"He either does or can figure it out pretty quickly." Adrien answered her.

"Do you think we could get a place for you to stay for the mean time or at least long enough to get your ring back and defeat him?" Ladybug stared down at the ground, looking just as lost as Adrien felt, through and through.

"He'll probably shut down my bank account and use a GPS tracker on my phone soon." Adrien answered for her.

"Let's get some money real quick then, just enough for a throwaway phone and a small place to stay." Ladybug suggested as her mind sifted through other options, "He'd find you at my place, and I don't have the money by myself to buy more than one night at a hotel if even that."

"We can give it a try." Adrien answered, and so that started the quick search for a small house to stay in as a safe house. Ladybug would not let her now temporarily just a civilian boyfriend get hurt by his father again, even though before today, she thought that he was only a civilian, not doubling as her superhero partner.

If they could be very secretive, no one would have to know that Adrien had his own place somewhere tucked away inside a tiny house in Paris.


	12. Blushing

There was only so much protecting and sitting around doing next to nothing that she could do before something completely out of the ordinary happens. As far as she was aware, Hawkmoth hadn't sent any Akumas out lately, and after a day like today, trying to find a place to protect the boy that could very well be very vulnerable to Hawkmoth and ending up here, practically alone had to mean something.

When she'd gotten actual evidence of who Hawkmoth actually was a few days ago with Tikki and Master Fu's help, she'd immediately told her partner and brought proof along since he hadn't believed her the last time. Honestly, she was working at the whole talk as much as she was allowed to thing with him anyway, and while he'd been more than a little shocked and there had been many shocking reveals about the butterfly Miraculous, they'd planned to work on everything together.

That evening was the first time that she'd smuggled Adrien away from his home for his protection and while they didn't really have anywhere to hide out at or the ability to scrounge up something at the moment and stay undercover and away from his father's sight, she'd managed to find a small spot to hide him away while she ran off, often meeting up with Cat Noir to take on another Akuma that was clearly searching for Adrien.

Right now though, sleep deprivation must have hit Adrien pretty hard since she hadn't seen him sleep since she'd gotten him away from his house, and she usually was pretty close and keeping an eye out for any Akumas or Hawkmoth sightings.

She really hadn't slept in days either, and while her mind was quite foggy under the lack of sleep, she felt Adrien lean back against her side, head coming to rest on her shoulder.

Her face flamed past any previous known levels of heat as she peeked down to see the adorable sight of Adrien's head tucked into her neck, breathing evenly against her neck, sending shivers down her spine and reminding her of just how close he leaned against her.

His green eyes were shut, and he relaxed so completely against her. The first sign of a less than restful sleep happened probably a half an hour later when his hands curled into fists next her and as his eyelashes blinked against her neck, sending more accidental sparks down across her skin and reheating her face up at the reminder of just how close he actually was to her. Adrien's absolutely adorable, and she couldn't help her soft and sweet smile at the reminder.

When she woke up, her eyes blinking open, slowly coming to the realization that Adrien was pressed as close as could be to her side, she glanced over and found him slowly waking up. Pink returning to her cheeks slowly as his face reddened when he looked up at her.

Dazed joy passed through his green eyes as his face flamed up, apology already on his lips, though she didn't notice the wet spot on her neck until he pulled away. He'd drooled in his sleep much to her surprise, but at the very least even if they struggled to speak to each other much that day or even how Cat Noir managed to stumble and trip over his words when they patrolled, she couldn't help the spark of joy and embarrassment.

Both of their faces had managed to match in red hues that morning when they woke up, pressed as close as could be while they slept.


	13. AU (General)

There's a point in life, a place, where you may just be more rejected, more 'outcast' than any other point. He loves the sea, longs to feel cool water brush against him, the bitterness of salt on his tongue, or even warm water surrounding him, but it isn't enough. Adrien loves the land, the freedom, the mobility, the languages that flow around him and catch his ears and eyes.

Reading what he can of signs or trying to anyway has became a fun, wonderful past time of his, and yet even when he stumbles, and his father tries to correct him on this language or not in broken Adlandic, Adrien listens. He speaks French, semi-fluently or at least pretends that he does when he stays with his father.

Living on land though lacks the good humor and fast quality to the sea, the brushing past any obstacles, stumbling in an attempt to keep up with his mother. Actually, he's probably not perfect at either walking or running though Adrien's father keeps a brisk walk which isn't impossible to keep up with, and he's not the fastest swimmer around either. His mother could probably do five mile laps around him and still cover more ground which was rather sad, actually.

He loved the bright colors of the sea that spilled forth from nature, but the bright neon lights of the city still caught his eye and made him gaze up at them. Sometimes, it was harder than not to find joy in every little thing that made land so interesting, so vast, so cool.

Adrien figured that he liked the people that he met too, had a few different kinds of friends: Alix was fast under water, probably the fastest, and she liked a good prank or game or two. No mer could ever challenge her nearly enough, and even if she didn't speak your language, she'll still challenge you to a race or ten. Ondine was her fast 'cousin' that only hung around her, because she believed herself to be the better swimmer of the two of them though was a diver at heart. She'll go so deep in the oceans that others will look on in disbelief and worry.

He had friends on land too. Kim was a lot like Alix as far as challenging anyone to any type of competition went, and Alix and Ondine had met him first. Both liked him despite being human and them being mers, but Adrien had tried telling them once that their kids would be a lot like Adrien was, a wanderer with no real home.

Adrien had just never figured out if he were more man or more merman, and he knew that he was on a timer, a time limit, as he couldn't spend his whole life indecisive and back and forth. One day, he'll likely have a wife that he loves; some woman that he'd be able to devote himself to in the perfect way that his parents never could. His mom could stay on land with feet for a half an hour at most, and his father was a decent swimmer, but no where near fast enough to keep up with Adrien's mom.

Adrien still wasn't quite sure how his parents had met or whether if he did stay on land, his father would force him to take over the fashion business or not. It used to be full of more mer inspired designs but it had now faded to what was now just normalcy. Adrien wasn't sure what he preferred though he didn't care much for clothes either way or rather didn't love them like his dad did.

* * *

She was half positive that her wings might as well not work, that she was basically a land dweller.a 'rootican,' as they'd taken to calling them some time ago. Someone stationary as a rock or a tree, someone that could only bumble along with their legs, inferior as she'd heard so often.

Marinette or Ladybug on the few brave days that she felt confident and dawned a mask the same shade that her wings hit after being in the sun too long, felt like she just wasn't the perfect person for Airden, her home that she'd always known. It may have came from the fact that she'd been raised temporarily with humans when her father and mother decided to disguise themselves among them and live as bakers for five years. They loved the work, but being too long on land made their wings feel weak and made them anxious. At five years old, Marinette had been introduced to her 'true home' as many people referred to it for her. She'd had to learn from scratch that the wings on her back meant something far more than decoration.

She wasn't necessarily good on her feet, but on her wings, she faltered too. Half the time, she wondered if she could drench herself in water and pretend to be a fish and get away with it. Marinette was half positive that she'd somehow fail at swimming as well. She was not all that graceful at all.

Her blue eyes that sparkled like the night's gems caught on to the warmth of sunshine just a little away, the cover of clouds keeping her cool before she decided to take off for a quick flight and see what all she could do to keep her going, may be get a little 'practice' in with flying, so that she won't be as bad at it later, and if she was lucky, she'd spot humans wearing their style of fashion which always caught her eye as something different. Birdwoman wear was loose fitting and robe like; humans had much more variety which caught the young woman that always dreamed of being a fashion designer's attention. She guessed that it ran in her family to be more interested in human culture than they rightly should be.

* * *

Adrien sat down outside, watching the sky, just savoring how close it felt on land and so distant too. Farm houses just beyond him obscured some of his vision. He thrilled over whatever trips that he could go on on land, because of the diversity of land, the different places that you could find if only you walked just a little farther, if only you took a train or a car or a horse or whatever, you'd find the rest of the world so different and so stunning.

His eyes caught something that flew just differently than a plane and looked to be like a bird but the wrong color and much too big. Adrien's green eyes went wide when he realized that it was a person wearing a mask with feathery, black spotted scarlet wings above him, like a life sized ladybug, some kind of bug pattern on a human bird.

Adrien couldn't help his startled noise, and his surprise grew when she landed not too far away from him. Wings closing in at her back, hiding from sight despite how obvious they'd just been. Tied back hair in pigtails with bright red ribbons caught in the wind.

"H-Hi?" He wasn't sure if that even came out in French or if it became Adlandic in his haste to say something to the strange woman, the beautiful creature before him that he couldn't keep his eyes from searching for her wings again. She was so, so beautiful. This woman had the best parts of being human added in with a few graceful, beautiful aspects of being a bird. Adrien half wondered if he knew what attraction was before, because surely, no mermaid or human woman had caught his attention like this woman did.

"Hello?" French probably was the language that he'd spoken as he heard her speak in it, voice just accented enough that he figured that she'd had to have started learning it when she was much younger.

"H-Who are you?" Adrien finally managed to work up the nerve to say; he had to know a name for her.

Her eyes glanced down as she fluttered her scarlet and black wings, and she smiled, "Right now, I'm Ladybug."

"Ladybug?" No name had ever tasted sweeter on Adrien's lips, and he realized that he was smitten. Just, he wasn't sure what this at all meant for his life when he still wasn't sure whether land or sea was his home; he didn't have wings, he couldn't fly, and nerves lit him up at the thought of somehow missing this much, much later on. He couldn't just live in the sky or wherever this beautiful woman lived; he simply couldn't travel there. Adrien wasn't stupid enough to try to jump there out of an airplane; he'd probably die on his first try anyway.

"Yeah, and you are, human?" Her voice accented human in its own way, made it pretty, and exotic. Adrien figured though that honesty was a pretty important start anyway.

"Half human, half mer. I'm Adrien." He introduced with a bright smile and really hoped that it wasn't weird to correct her.

"I'm a birdwoman." Ladybug answered, "Lived among humans when I was a kid, but don't have a trace of it in my blood."

As far as beginnings go to anything, theirs was probably the weirdest and least concrete, but Adrien would take it gladly a hunred times over. He still wasn't quite sure what he'd do in the future about where he'd live, but he wouldn't mind if he could spend every day talking to Ladybug though she only came out the day after a really sunny day.


	14. Reverse Crush

"May be it will help to talk about it?" She spoke up after grabbing a few more 'dietician' approved chips that Adrien had sent up for their semi-regular game nights or the things that you weren't supposed to do with your superhero best friend when she's supposed to be on patrol. Adrien had promised not to tell a soul a while ago, so he figured that since he was actually her superhero companion that she was doubly safe from getting in trouble.

Still it was odd to balance some of her slipping up moments when he was transformed or her awkward attempts at flirting; Adrien was pretty sure he wasn't that bad on the day that he had to pick up Marinette to protect her though he couldn't swear by it when his cat tongue refused to work right, and his pickup lines and puns actually almost made her swoon. He still was rather proud of it but far too nervous to actually stop by her house for a visit.

"Well," Adrien sighed, trying to find the words to describe her, "It all started with a misunderstanding, and I wish that I could say that a part of that didn't steal my heart, but when I'd finally worked up the courage to explain myself and apologize later, she'd handled it so well. She's probably one of the kindest people that I've met." Adrien's face turned pink thinking about her as he spun to face Ladybug.

"I hope that things work out. My best bud deserves to be happy." She nudged him, relaxing back against his side, their own kind of normal closeness; it never really became awkward between the two of them.

"Yeah, it's just her willingness to take charge kind of took me by surprise. She's able to speak her mind most of the time, and sometimes, I feel rather weak willed." He sighed, pressing against her side, "And I get so tongue tied around her. I just can't speak right even though we're sort of friends or I hope we're friends at least. She always keeps her cool, talks to me like a normal friend of hers, and she's just so sweet to everyone except may be Chloe."

"She goes to school with you?" Ladybug's voice went all high and squeaky as she considered this.

"Yeah, it's how we met. On my first day of actual school." Adrien admitted, looking a little lost in thought and carried away with his feelings and the memories of meeting her.

"O-Oh!" Ladybug squeaked, "Do you mind if I head off to finish up my patrol?" The game was still on the character selection menu, but Ladybug's face felt permanently stained red. 'May be I'm just overthinking it, and I wasn't the only person that he'd had a misunderstanding with on the first day of school and apologized on his second.' Her heart was already stolen by Cat Noir, claimed by his happy paws though he'd never even considered acknowledging her feelings before. Tikki had always been encouraging and kind, and yet that wasn't enough of a reassurance to her suddenly frazzled mind.

Like a broken reel, it played all of the possibilities of whether she actually returned his feelings, said yes, and dated him. What if their game nights became date nights? Nevermind the fact that he didn't know her identity and so that likely wouldn't happen. Her mind refused to return to the land of reality as she hurried up, spoke a rapid fire goodbye, not bothering for the normal hug or just the casual, physical contact as she rushed off into the night to hopefully clear her head while finishing up patrol and go home to hopefully not debate all of the possibilities that her mind threw at her one right after the other.


	15. Trust

"Just trust me." And just like that day when he was falling, he gave his all in trust to her. Adrien trusted her with his life and so much more; she wouldn't even need to tell him to trust her as he settled in her arms and closed his eyes, letting her carry him away to who knows where.

Ladybug is the best part of himself as far as Adrien's concerned; he gave her his heart so long ago, and to this day, he'll still trust her to keep it and keep him safe. She makes waking up special every morning as he rushes off to get ready in the vain hope that he'll see her again that day; she makes him so happy, so delighted, so ecstatic that he can't quite help himself.

He melts in her arms, and he knows that he's safe without having to look, because she's always carried him safely across Paris whenever she felt like she had to. Adrien knows that wherever she sets him down that he'll be fine.

"Open your eyes. Look up." Her voice is soft as she sets him down, but regardless of all of Paris around them, regardless of whatever surprise she set up for him, he looks at her first. Takes in the scarlet suit and the black spots, takes in her ocean blue eyes, takes in her gentle smile, and her arms that look cold without him in them or may be that's his own desire to slip back into her arms. He loves her.

Adrien dutifully obeys her after a moment, after one long breathless moment taking her in like it's the first time that he's seen her in his life, like she's a dream come true, and when he turns away, his heart stops in his chest. This looks so familiar, so perfect, lights lighting up the balcony that they're standing on. Sparkling, reminding him of stars, and the lights in Ladybug's eyes.

"There was a girl, lonely, one day, and you took her here." Ladybug began in a whisper soft voice just for them, "And she was dazzled by what she saw of your heart, what you'd prepared for her without knowing, and when she came back that day for you, that night, she knew that your heart shone in every light. She's ready now to trust you with so much more than you'd ever expect, she's ready now to give her heart to all of you. What do you say, Kitty?"

Adrien's green eyes go wide as he takes in the scene and then his eyes find his lady again; how long had she known? He hadn't spoken to her about his identity, hadn't revealed himself to her, and yet he somehow knew just from the sentiment, just from her heart shining through her blue eyes, that she loved him completely: his reckless side, his gentle side, his heart on his sleeve, his normal side, his dorky side, his way too weird dance moves, his puns, just everything. She loved him all: Adrien and Cat Noir.

"M-Marinette?" There was only one girl that he'd taken here other than Ladybug one day, and so he moved towards her, seeing through the stars in her eyes, a familiar woman, a familiar face, a gentle love, and a girl that he was coming to see more to every day at school or hanging out whenever they could outside of it. His hand trembles as he brushes a stray hair out of her face, and as he leans up on weak knees to kiss her lips for the first time ever. It's like tasting water in a dry desert, like finding love that you hadn't realized was there before, and he knows that somehow he's came to trust her with more than his life, with his future too, and everything that that entails.

Adrien will trust her even with his dying breath, and he tries to kiss her, stumbling and nervous as he is, to that point, to let her know that he truly cares for her and loves her. His heart beats practically out of his chest, and he knows he's home, trust and all, in her arms.

He doesn't need a roof over his head if only he had her, if this moment could stretch on between them and never fade, as she gingerly kisses back, at first shyly, and then with the fire and the flame that Adrien may have lit up in her heart. Adrien couldn't be happier, and he just felt like may be she couldn't be either.


	16. Goodbye Kiss

"You know we can't anymore." Tears lined Ladybug's eyelashes when she blinked, held in a gentle, easily broken reserve. Hawkmoth had just been defeated last week, and so far, there was no point in daily patrols anymore.

Adrien's heart broke as he stared into ocean blue eyes, "Ladybug, what ab-about me?" It felt like his heart had been made of glass this whole week, and that now he was losing one of the people that made him feel grounded in all of this.

"There's this girl." Ladybug took a deep breath, "She's a friend of yours. I trust her, and she'll step up to support you. Just, I need to stop going out in suit, it causes a ruckus, Adrien, and so Ladybug's retiring until she needs to stop back up to protect Paris again."

"A-A friend?" He asked, watching Ladybug as if there was a clue somewhere along her skin to what she meant.

"She'll be there where I can't be." Ladybug's voice though soft was strong and insistent. "Trust me."

"She will?" Adrien leaned closer, "Does she have a name?"

"You'll know her when you see her, Adrien." Ladybug pressed closer against him, "All I ask is that you trust her as if she were me. I'm sorry that we have to end like this, but I do love you. I always have." Ladybug's heart twisted inside her chest, but she had to press on. He had to understand.

"Okay, I trust you." Adrien murmured, and when his eyes flickered closed for just a second, Ladybug's heart bounced in her chest, and she leaned down against his lips the rest of the way, pressing at first just a soft kiss like asking permission even after all of the kisses that they'd shared.

Adrien pressed so close against her, hand pressed against her black spotted, scarlet suit covered side, and she could have sworn she heard his heartbeat against her. He pressed so up and into her kiss that he practically molded into a second or even third layer of her,

Suits weren't thick, didn't mask as much feeling as they could, so she felt him just a step shy from skin on skin contact, and all that she wanted was for this moment to drag on into forever. Her lips stayed over top his, gentle, loving, and kind.  
Just, desperation kicked in, lips became fast as if eager to grab as much of a kiss as they could, tongues curled, and though it was blissful, it felt way too much like saying their last goodbye. As long as he understands or comes to, it won't be. It's the vain hope that Ladybug hopes for and yet even that vanishes in the dust of a kiss so full of longing and vulnerability that she nearly breaks down crying against his lips.

She can't stop the floodgates of tears and pain when something wet leaks down against her, and she realizes that her boyfriend is crying against her lips, counting the time as if it's far too short.

It becomes too much, so they pull away, gazing past tear filled eyes into the other's tear filled eyes, and she knows that this moment will embed itself in her mind forever. How broken she'd left the love of her life, how much her heart aches, pounds, and breaks.

"Ladybug, I'll miss you." Those words hurt more than perhaps anything he could have told her, so she pulls him into her arms and kisses him like there's no tomorrow. Just take them away. Let heartbreak become hope. Please.

He doesn't disappoint; he kisses her back just as intensely, as much of his heart revealed through the kiss as could be. It reminds her of a sadder version of when they'd first told each other, 'I love you,' and shared a kiss that was built up on so much more than before. It breaks her heart more than his words ever could. She can feel every 'I love you,' and she can feel every, 'I'll miss you. I kind of already do.'

Actions can speak louder than words, and she isn't sure how she can stand this much longer as she pulls away. She'll need this kiss to be their true goodbye kiss, because her heart can't take this anymore, and her identity almost spills forth from her lips during the kiss. So much trust, so much honesty, and yet neither make her reveal what she still feels like she can't.

"Don't forget me, but remember, I'd be okay if you move on. You can't always hold out for a superhero." Her eyes speak of a sadness that must have fell from her lips during their kisses.

"I don't think that I could move on." Adrien tells her, and the raw honesty in his gaze nearly leaves her undone.

"Just try for me, okay? I'll be around, but just without the spots," Her soft smile is the happiest that she's felt all day in his arms and the most honesty and hints that she could ever give him. Her heart won't take it if he doesn't realize it.

His green eyes go wide, "I'll remember that friend of mine." He mutters, "I guess I can try." She knows that he's just going to move on to her civilian identity if he ever figures out who 'that friend' is, but it soothes her heart and reminds her that he'll always be as big of a part of her life as he can be. Love blooms even now as broken and torn as she is. They'll make it through, and she accidentally leans down for a 'new beginnings' kiss, as short as it was, she was sure that he got the message as she waved and sped off into the night to dream of hopefully, the new beginnings that she's promised her boyfriend.


	17. Aged Up

Some days were harder than most as Ladybug could well testify whenever there was a difficult Akuma battle the night before, so cuddling on the couch with her husband seemed like the ideal way to spend at least a chunk of that morning. She lazily curled up closer against Adrien, mind still half gone when he started giving her a message, Ladybug was still transformed from earlier when she'd ran a brief patrol before the kids would be up, what was supposed to be way before then.

Evening patrols often switched to morning patrol since she'd became a mother due to the inconsistency over whether her kids would still be up in the morning; plus, general exhaustion when they were babies had Ladybug and Cat Noir not caring at all whether they were patrolling in the morning, at night, or in the early afternoon,

By now, it had just faded to a habit that they didn't care too much to shake, and so Ladybug melted against Adrien's hands and his gentle massage, only blinking her tired eyes back open when their children ran into the room, "Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"

She blinked as she glanced over at the homemade cards and a few wrapped gifts that they'd likely made at school for just this occasion.

"It's Sunday?" Adrien murmured in her ear, and Ladybug was relieved that she wasn't the only one that forgot.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Their daughter asked, glancing at the spots, and she was glad that they'd already had this talk before, just to avoid the stress of trying to handle patrols, Akuma, and whatever else as a superhero and managing motherhood or in Cat Noir's case, fatherhood with three children so far.

"I had to patrol." Ladybug yawned as she leaned against her husband, "And we had an Akuma fight last night."

"Oh." She pouted, but still she came closer, nuzzling up against her father, "Can you open your gifts now? I made you something extra special!"

Tonie sat down by her parents, leaning close to her father.

Her brothers, Hugo and Louis, weren't far behind in joining her though Hugo sat on their mom's lap and held out his gifts.

"Sure, though Mommy might have take a nap soon." Adrien smiled over at her, and she practically melted over his glee over the simple words. He'd been so excited to be a daddy, and shortly after, grew excited that Ladybug or when she wasn't transformed, Marinette, was the mommy of their children. Sometimes, she was sure that Adrien threw around those words more than their kids did, but Ladybug didn't mind, not as she cuddled closer, and waited with unabashed excitement like Adrien did to see what their kids had gotten or rather made him for Father's Day.

"Okay." Tonie cheered as she cuddled closer and gazed up at him, wide blue eyes staring up into her father's green ones. Tonie looked so much like her grandfather though her eyes were the one point against that; she had brown hair just like Grandpa Tom did.

Adrien carefully opened up the first card and as he read it aloud, everyone cuddled closer to hear him better as if Tonie had never heard the words before despite writing them, and so they all listened intently. Adrien had one of the best reading voices ever, and though it was just a card, excitement and cheer leaked into his tone like you wouldn't believe.

He loved every little moment like this with their kids no matter how many times that they'd happened as they cuddled close and just listened to him with a joy of their own. Moments like these even reminded Ladybug how she'd fallen in love with this man and came to marry him, how she'd grown to love him more with every passing year. Transformed or not, they made the best kind of family.


	18. Valentine

In a box under their bed, lay all of the cards, old Valentine's, and love poems that they'd written for each other since the very beginning, and Ladybug couldn't help the smile on her face as she held a heart shaped valentine full of what seemed like everything, the valentine that started it all.

A love letter that was in response to a poem about Ladybug, a poem that he'd just meant to throw away when insecurity and frustration at the word choice made him scrap it. A poem that still meant the world to her, a poem that reminded her of his heart, how pure it was through the rough exterior that he'd had to take on over the years, the facade invented by being a model, the difficulties and stress of being a superhero, neither could touch and destroy the beauty that she found in his heart even after all these years.

Most people would consider today, just a day for flowers and chocolate or sometimes a special dinner, and call it a day. But Ladybug had never been most people and neither was Adrien, her darling husband that would be getting off work in another hour, and so she really needed to get her surprise in order as she slipped the heart shaped valentine and its predecessor, the love poem back into their box and found a pen and a paper and prepared a love letter specially styled for her husband, signed with a ladybug and beside it, the signature of a fashion designer that she knew that he'd recognized. His wife's handwriting in and outside of the suit.

Ladybug smiled as she pieced together something just a little special for her husband, and she just knew that today might mean something a little more than their awkward attempts as teenagers to share their love with each other, to confess, and see the change that would have taken much, much longer with identities spilling along the way before it would work out for them.

* * *

"Mr. Agreste?" She greeted outside the office building and couldn't resist her smile as her husband turned to her with wide eyes.

"Ladybug?" His voice stuttered lightly in surprise.

"Let me take you somewhere before the kids get out of school." She murmured, glad for even just an hour with her husband before they needed to pick their kids up from school and whatever else awaited them.

"As Ladybug?" He asked her softly.

"Why not? It's how our first Valentine really began together, a mistaken and yet true identity, and a love poem." She smiled, "But over time, it's came to mean so much more."

It's true that over all these years that their love has blossomed, that they've learned of the beauty in each other's hearts past the masks, pasts different identities of theirs, and past anything that would have held them far apart in a crazy square that now they laugh at their own obliviousness.

"It was, I guess. For you, wasn't it a bit different?" Adrien spoke softly as he came closer.

"For me, I hoped the best for Adrien, was a little scared of how to confess, and later on, I may have missed just the words that my shining cat in leather arm was trying to tell me." She shrugged, "But, ever since that day in the rain with you, and ever since we first met as heroes, you came to mean more to me than anyone ever has. You slipped in to my life and my world, and I'm so glad that you did. Just let me take you out tonight for old time's sake."

Adrien's gentle smile let her know that her words hit home, that they meant the world for him, and finally, he took her gloved hand in his and let her carry him over the rooftops finding that old rooftop space, lit up like a day so long ago.

"It's beautiful, Marinette." And here, it didn't matter whether he called her her civilian name as no one was close enough nearby to hear a word of it.

"It's where you first let me hear your heart for real." She murmured, carefully moving to properly set up their picnic, but before she'd forget, she pulled out her Valentine card for him, "I hope that my heart is on this page the way that yours was so long ago."

"Marinette," His voice grew soft, and he carefully opened it with a bright smile on his face.

"I'm nowhere near as good with my words as you are with yours, but hopefully, I managed somehow." Ladybug let topple from her lips, her heart warm with love for her husband.

"It's beautiful." Tears lit up his green eyes under the light of the lights she'd set up around him, and he slowly moved towards her to tenderly take her into his arms and give her a kiss that she'd remember for the rest of her life: loving, passionate, full of awe, and so, so full of his heart.  
It resonated within her, and even if they'd eventually have to rush to get their kids from school or if they forgot to eat their picnic, she'd be so glad that their date was up high above the view of most Parisians as it gave her a chance to kiss her husband and spend Valentine's Day so utterly in love whether one of them was transformed and the other or not.

Ladybug would try to remember this Valentine's forever, and she just hoped that Adrien would remember it and love it just as much as she did.


	19. Confession

"Adrien," Gloved hands ran softly through his hair, and he leaned further against the touch and really wished that he could let himself purr, but there was only so much purring you could do near your secret girlfriend until she wonders if you're Cat Noir, "I love you."  
It sends an electric shock through him as his mind gets caught on that word: love. He'd heard her say, 'I like you,' and 'I really, really like you,' and 'I have a crush on you in the past, but never, never that beautiful word caught somewhere between 'I' and 'you.' His heart leapt and bounced, and he moved to sit up, running on autopilot, he just had to see what her face looked like.

"I-I'm sorry. It was too soon, wasn't it?" Ladybug's voice fell in his eyes all kinds of levels of frantic before he managed to spin to face her, her hands fell out of his hair when he moved. He kind of missed them, but this seemed more important, glancing into tear filled blue eyes, seeing a bright pink face, nervous eyes, fidgety hands now that they weren't busy.

"I-It isn't too soon." Adrien's voice fell softly from his lips, "I'd been meaning to tell you the same thing, but I just wasn't sure how or when to say it. I love you, Ladybug. You have all my heart." It slipped out, more detail, more words than he'd intended to say. He loved her; she'd stolen his heart so long ago, but still nerves now clogged up his throat and his face went pink.

"You have all of my heart too. Inside and outside of the suit." Ladybug slipped her gloved fingers around his not gloved ones, and he couldn't help but admire how nerves turned to sweet, gentle affection and how soft and loving her eyes went. All that he wanted was to steal a kiss or two or three or several as the love in his chest bounced and rocked as he fell more unbelievably in love with her.

He reached out, and she let him cup her face in his hands, tenderly running her fingers along her cheeks, as if this were the first time that he'd touched her face even though it wasn't. Her face bloomed pink under his gentle carress and the heat tickled his fingers with it.

Adrien slowly leaned forward, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss that felt more like a first kiss should feel like even though it wasn't their first kiss at all. Gently, his lips moved over top hers and gently when they broke that barrier, his tongue explored her mouth like it was a dream destination. He poured all of his heart and all of his love into that slow kiss, as much as he could, and tenderness became almost like a new feeling, a new kind of kiss, and he never wanted to let go of her again.

There was nothing rushed about it; they took their was no frenzied passion or desire to break this boundary and go further than they'd ever gone, just the desire to let the other know just how loved they are, to let their love find a calling place, a location between them.

They could kiss all day like this if the world just stopped spinning just for them, if they had just a moment more to themselves, if they really had a chance to be happier and stay together. Adrien and Ladybug practically blended together in this moment as hands gingerly held the other near, as lips moved, and tongues swirled. They would never part if the world didn't demand for it.

All that he wanted, all that she wanted too, was to stay together where one kiss molds together into the next one, saying more than words ever seemed to say. It felt different, so different, to kiss like this, like every moment, every second was something precious, but they wouldn't trade these kisses for any other.

It's almost like their kisses were their own kind of love confession, stretching further and beyond the words that they'd last spoken to each other, stretching beyond just an 'I love you,' becoming the physical expression of it.

It was a day for confessions it seemed, and they wouldn't want it any other way.


	20. Secret Admirer

The first time that he saw her letter, he'd been stopped in his tracks. On a plain white page, a letter was carefully written out and not signed. Beside it laid a small box with a gift inside: a shiny lucky charm bracelet.

Adrien carefully ran his fingers over the homemade bracelet, full of blues, greens, and even a little black, reminding him of his superhero identity and his favorite color though he had a vague feeling that no one probably knew who he was beyond just Adrien anyway.

He hadn't paused too long to consider how he'd gotten the gift or just who gave it to him, balanced as it had been on the window, just slightly taped other than the box. Adrien figured that he'd probably ask Nathalie who had visited though thoughts quickly fled far away from that lone, stray thought when his schedule starting pushing again.

* * *

The second time, it was a painting of him, carefully drawn out, bright joy that he rarely felt nowadays lit up his eyes, and beside it lay a card, 'I wish that I could always see you like this, without the fake smiles or the nervousness, no facades, no masks. I really hope that you'll smile again soon like this.'

His first thought was Chloe since she'd actually grown up with him, seen some of his brightest smiles, but she wasn't the type of person to be behind the scenes with her romantic attempts and even so, she didn't know how to paint. Her ability to draw, paint, or anything really arts and crafty was rough, but then again, so was Adrien's most the time anyway.

This painting looked like it had been done by a professional though there was no signature and the attention to detail in capturing his happiest level of joy was so acute that he knew that whoever had made it, really, really liked him.

It was weird to see his smile lit up and looking so real without even a moment of it caught on camera, with it instead painted very carefully by hand. This time, his secret admirer if that was what she was was really getting his attention.

* * *

The next gift was wrapped carefully in a box with a bow to hide the fact from anyone initially walking into his room since they were sweets from Marinette's parents' bakery, and he already couldn't wait to try them. There was a mixture of assorted sweets, but mostly he found the croissants and macarons that he so loved.

Whoever it was paid close attention or at least knew him well enough to know whether he liked those sweets and yet not well enough to only pack his favorites though he hadn't really tried much else, and he really, really had been wanting to try them.

When Marinette had some with her lunch sometimes, he was absolutely positive that his mouth drooled.

'I was told once that a way to someone's heart was through their stomach, but I do now that these might break your diet by quite a bit. I hope that you enjoy them anyway.' A small smiley face was drawn at the end of the card in place of her last message's heart.

Adrien couldn't help his cat like curiosity, but he really wondered who she was.

* * *

"Hey, Cat Noir." Ladybug called, tapping him on the shoulder before they parted at the end of patrol, "A-A friend of mine really wanted our signatures on a poster that she'd gotten for a friend of hers and even though she doesn't know who I am behind this mask, I just couldn't say no." She admitted, and the shy turn of her features, made him want to hold her close, but his eyes flickered towards the poster: a fanmade poster in question of the two superheroes that the LadyBlog had taken a while ago, and nestled in next to Ladybug was her familiar signature: a little ladybug.

"Sure," He couldn't help his smile as he carefully signed next to where he was on the poster, wondering who that friend of Ladybug's was especially as she thanked Cat Noir with a bright beaming smile.

She sure was excited about the gift or request.

* * *

Adrien wondered why he was surprised when he'd found the poster rolled up and tied with a pretty red bow, a replica of Ladybug's in his room; he should have seen it coming. When he unrolled it though his eyes were quick to sort out where the signatures were. Turns out that they were in the same place, and he knew without a doubt that it was the one that Ladybug had held for Cat Noir to sign the other day.

A letter was carefully nuzzled against the poster, 'I heard a little while ago that you're a fan of Ladybug, and so I asked her for a favor. I hope you like it.' As usual, the letter wasn't signed, but it was starting to feel like cracking a code. A friend of Ladybug's that knew him well enough to order more of two different kinds of sweets that he liked, so therefore, likely a friend of his, but not close enough to know too much about which sweets he liked or close enough to bravely confess her feelings to him face to face. Unless, she was deliberately waiting this out which seemed kind of weird since she'd had yet to sign any of the letters that she left him.

His fingers traced her handwriting until curiosity made him grab the old Valentine from what was quickly seeming like a while ago; it was the only other unsigned gift that he'd received besides all of these new ones.

The handwriting was the same! Could it be Ladybug writing these letters to him like he'd first thought so long ago?

* * *

There was no gift, just a letter this time. 'I'm still not sure what all I should give you, but even then, I don't want to stop writing you letters. I sometimes wonder if you do read these even though I shouldn't.' The last line was half crossed out, like the writer was kind of scared of admitting her feelings and even then wasn't sure whether she could say them. She bravely didn't start a new page; wisely again, the page was unmarked.

Someone that's friends with Ladybug or is Ladybug and still worries whether Adrien still reads her mysterious letters? He wasn't sure what to think of that, because a part of him figured that Ladybug should know or trust that he'll read them anyway.

* * *

"Father," Adrien wondered if it was wrong to ask his father for advice on this or if the mysterious girl in question would mind, "What does it mean when a girl leaves you gifts and love letters without signing her name?"

"A girl's doing that?" Gabriel looked over, slightly surprised that even one of his son's many admirers wasn't signing her name down as he looked back to his designs and some of the other paperwork scattered along his desk, "If I had to guess, she probably just really wants your attention. She'll probably eventually sign them or do something about that fact."

Adrien felt restless, because that wasn't much better at all than what he was thinking, but the girl remained a mystery in his head, "Thank you, Father."

He left his father's office, head still spinning, fast and fast around; answer still not in sight.

* * *

The next one was a scarf, green and black, 'Green really brings out your eyes, I've noticed, and black makes you shine just a little brighter. I hope that you can agree though I don't expect you to change which scarf is your favorite by any means.'

Adrien couldn't help but glance towards the computer as he tried to remember whether there'd been a photo shoot or something where he'd had to wear black or green or something similar lately, but his mind drew a blank.

He'd hung out with Nino, Alya, and Marinette the other day and tried on some ridiculous outfits. May be it had been a week ago instead of two days, but between everything, sometimes specific days were lost on him. Adrien figured that that was a coincidence though he vaguely remembered trying on green in one of the stores and being utterly ridiculous.

Adrien had felt more than a little happy and excited over the fact that he'd managed to make all three of his friends laugh too.

* * *

The next gift lay next to a card on his desk, 'I think that may be Cat Noir's rubbing off on me, because I thought that this would be kind of cute on you.' Beside the card was a T-Shirt with a little ladybug off to the side that simply said, 'Caught By The Love Bug.'

He couldn't resist a small chuckle especially since he actually was; would she accept a gift from him if he were to leave one here for her to see? As a means of saying, 'thank you,' and finally admitting to her catching his eye whoever she was.'

* * *

Adrien left a small gift for his secret admirer, a cute little kitty chasing a ladybug necklace; on a whim, it had just seemed fitting, and he hoped that she'd like it. He certainly hadn't expected to see a little bug in his room or rather a bug themed superheroine, staring down at the necklace with tears in her eyes, gloved hands over her mouth, "Thank you. It's so beautiful. It actually reminds me of my partner in some ways."

His eyes found hers, "Ladybug?"

"Y-Yeah." She admitted, "It wasn't supposed to lead back to me exactly. I was trying to work up the nerve to tell you as my other self, but you really did surprise me today with this gift, and even though I was going to leave hints and clues pointing to my other side, I'd rather not wait another second to give this a chance if you'd want to. I now that it's probably crazy, and I have a superhero partner that I am close to, he's probably one of my best friends, possibly my very best one, and my life's crazy busy with being a superhero and saving Paris, you know, from all of the chaos that Hawkmoth causes everytime that he sends out an Akuma, but I really would like to know if you'd give this a chance with me anyway?"

Ladybug couldn't believe herself, rambling like she wasn't transformed at all, but she couldn't pull the words out of the air and pretend that she hadn't just rambled out pretty much all of her feelings in one fell swoop.

"I-I would love to." Adrien found himself saying before even really considering any reason why he couldn't just date her as they were right now, "Besides, I don't think that Cat Noir and you being close, Ladybug, is a problem. I-I understand." It couldn't be a problem when he was the feline themed superhero, there was nothing to be jealous over in that case which was a bit of a relief, because sometimes he could be quite the jealous kitty.

"O-Oh, I'm glad." Ladybug's answering smile was so bright that Adrien was very tempted to bask in it like it was sunlight streaming in.

"What can't you do? You've made such wonderful gifts for me lately, and I'm so happy that they're from you." Adrien wasn't sure if he should have tried to reign those words in, but they'd slipped past his defenses before he could put them back up.

"Th-Thank you. I'm glad that you think so." Ladybug's face tinted pink behind her scarlet and black mask, and he couldn't help wondering if he'd ever done something to make Ladybug feel any less deserving of his well meaningful compliments and his love and attention before.

"Since we're both here together, what do you want to do?" Adrien wasn't sure really what one was expected to do with their newfound superhero girlfriend when neither one knew the other one's other identity, and it may still be way too soon for cuddles and first kisses, but his eyes couldn't help finding her again and again.

"How about you help me with this necklace, and we play a few rounds of Ultimate Mecha Strike Three?" Ladybug answered, finding the right words to somehow lead them through their first 'date.' Adrien still couldn't believe how natural it was getting to be to hang around with Ladybug like this, to fall more in love with her, and he was more than a little elated that somehow they'd gotten started with Ladybug being his secret admirer and fully catching Adrien's attention.


	21. Matching Colours Or Outfits

'Want to go out?' Her burner phone buzzed, and she couldn't help that it put such a big and bright smile on her face and made her practically dance over towards it. Adrien was the only one with that number anyway.

'Yeah. I'm free.' She typed out as easily and quickly as she could.

'Stay in or..?' He let it drag on.

'Either or. I'll be over in five.' She typed out and quickly dashed downstairs to bring up a quick cookie or two for Tikki.

"Tikki, Tikki! We're going out." She gushed as she quickly set out to double check herself, even though she knew that it wouldn't really matter, because she was just going to be in her spotted hero suit anyway.

"Alright." Tikki didn't say much at all about them going out as often as they could as Ladybug, was quietly supportive in her own way anyway, and Marinette was just thankful to not be met with the dead end of a wall or something. Her Kwami was so amazing to put up with all these transformations anyway.

Marinette smiled, "Nothing looks out of place." She tucked a strand of hair out of the way and beamed at the mirror, still ecstatic to be dating Adrien in any way even after quite a few dates by this point.

"You look fine, Marinette." Tikki smiled up at her before she hurriedly finished her cookie off.

"Tikki, spots on." She murmured once she was positive that her Kwami had finished eating, and soon enough, Ladybug was staring into Marinette's mirror before she headed over towards Adrien's place for their date.

* * *

"Hi," Ladybug couldn't help but greet her boyfriend as he let her in through his window.

"Hello." Adrien's eyes didn't leave her, "You look beautiful as always."

"You look as dashing as ever." Ladybug responded, and her eyes found his open closet as he let his hand drop from hers.

"What's the matter? I could go shut it." Adrien spoke up as his eyes flickered back towards her, having followed her eyes as they found the one part of his room that wasn't the way that it usually was whenever she visited.

"N-No, it's fine. Just, are those your father's latest clothes for you?" Her eyes found the type of clothes that he normally wore and even a few suits from the more formal line that his father had released.

"Yeah, some might be a little older though." Adrien shrugged, "He tends to not let it get 'too old' though."

Ladybug glanced back towards her boyfriend, "Can I look?" To be near so many of Gabriel's brand of clothes seemed incredible to her though normally it didn't cross her mind too, too much that she was dating her fashion idol's son. It wasn't about that, never had been, but she really, really wanted to look through those clothes if he'd let her.

"Sure." Adrien shrugged; it didn't bother him any, and he knew that Ladybug liked fashion anyway. It had came up before in passing conversation a few times.

* * *

Ladybug wasn't quite sure how it came to be that she'd ended up wearing the same outfit as Adrien was wearing, the clothes that he tended to wear to school, but she didn't mind all that much as she wore them over the spots.

She somehow felt like she didn't pull off the look as well as her boyfriend did; he looked incredible regardless of what he wore, and his father was a really, really good designer.

"I never really wondered what you'd look like in my clothes, but wow, they do look good on you." Adrien muttered, sounding slightly breathless.

She shook her head, "They look much better on you." Ladybug smiled as she glanced over towards him, "Should we put you in spots? I bet you'd look better than I do."

"I doubt that, but..." Adrien's face turned pink, "Because you asked, may be." He kind of just trailed off as what had to be nerves hit him, and he grabbed a box above her head in the closet.

"What's in it?" Ladybug sat down on his floor, being careful as she did so, and she wondered how her boyfriend could find her cute in the outfit when you could see her spots past his normal clothes and her mask.

"My father doesn't know that I bought this, so..." Adrien carefully opened the lid and inside lay a whole costume that mirrored hers.

"You bought a costume of my suit?" Her voice fell from her lips before she could stop the words.

"It was before we were dating, and I've never worn it in front of anyone before." His face turned a much darker shade of pink, and she had to fight the urge to cuddle her adorable boyfriend. It likely wouldn't do well with his confidence at showing her his suit if she just pulled him close at seeing just how adorable and embarrassed he was.

"I'm sure that you'll look great in my spots. It came with a mask too?" She glanced down at the mask, fingers gently running through the material, finding it somewhat close to what her suit was though she still couldn't name a fabric that matched a hundred percent to what her suit felt like anyway.

"Yeah." Adrien's face was still tinted pink, but he left to change in the bathroom anyway.

While he switched to his costume that matched hers, she put his clothes away that she had been wearing, mostly as a sort of just to keep busy while he got changed task.

There was just something about him leaving the bathroom in her spots, her colors, her suit that made her heart race in her chest, and made her so giddy. He did look good in them, really, really good. The suit was made to better accent a man than her suit obviously was, but seeing her boyfriend in a skintight spandex like outfit didn't really not draw her attention to how snug it fit him.

"Wow. Adrien." Her voice trailed off like long forgotten honey, soft and gentle and slightly drawling, "You look amazing. Honestly, you've got to be my favorite version of Ladybug ever."

"But, you're Ladybug." He told her anyway, and she couldn't help how just stunned she was to see him like that. Of course, this version of her suit didn't come with earrings, but he still looked incredible and wore his ring.

"Still." She murmured as she stepped closer, reaching a gloved hand out to take his still gloved hand, and she couldn't help but squeeze his hand as she went in and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. It felt almost like he'd gladly just admitted that he was hers with wearing her suit, and her heart could barely take it as full as it felt. All that she wanted to do was kiss him forever and savor the fact that they were together. Two spotted hands intertwined in Adrien's room as he kissed Ladybug as if it were the first time that he'd done so though it wasn't.

If this day could last forever, Ladybug would be so happy just to be here with her boyfriend, caught up with spots on their minds, and pressed close, close enough that though they didn't see the spots, they were still linked together.


	22. Rescue

'Where was Cat Noir?' She could barely breathe past trying to take down an enemy that was zeroed in on her completely, and sometimes she didn't always spot the beams coming at her as she debated whether she should just use her Lucky Charm now and risk detransforming or wait for her partner to show. Should she just run for cover and give him a quick call or just pray that he'll make it on time or should she may be just try to take down this Akuma on her own?  
Her mind was too busy analyzing and debating how to handle the situation than to notice a pale green beam aimed right at her, rapidly coming very, very close to her, and so she didn't blink or think to dodge.

"Ladybug!" And something warm hit her, rolling her on the ground, and where she expected to look him and meet Cat Noir's more than likely abashed eyes instead she looked up and saw Adrien's slightly nervous ones.

"Adrien?" She murmured as her head came back down to earth, and she couldn't help that now all of her body felt tingly or the fact that she felt so, so grateful that she wasn't fried on top of the Parisian streets; Ladybug ash couldn't save the day after all.

"Yeah, I couldn't let you get hit." His smile warmed her heart, keeping her steady, and though it took a few moments more for Cat Noir to arrive, she didn't mind all that much as even though she was now back to being focused on the Akuma, her belly and heart felt warm, and she knew against her best interests she'd replay the rescue from Adrien in her head all day once she was back home.

* * *

It was a nightmare; an Akumatized fashion designer from Gabriel's company decided to take it all out on his son who clearly didn't deserve it, and Ladybug was already berating herself for being late as she tried to figure out how to throw her yoyo and not accidentally wrap it around the designer whose sewing needle was awfully, awfully close to Adrien and looked way, way more violent and scary than normal.

She gave up on trying to figure that out in order to just save Adrien from that needle; her split second decision ended up with her and Adrien rolling on the ground thankfully farther away than the 'Ultimate Designer' and when Ladybug looked down once they stopped rolling, she felt stunned to be on top, sort of paralyzed.

It felt different somehow, all sorts of sparks, and Adrien was so close that all she had to do was lean down and kiss him, and yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. They weren't dating; it would be weird!

Besides she could hear the Akuma screeching in the background, and so she stood back up, offering a hand to Adrien to help him up, and trying to ignore how her body still felt like a live wire and how all that she wanted to do was just pull Adrien close and hide somewhere far away for his safety.

"Thank you." Adrien murmured, and though she wasn't sure whether it was for the rescue or for helping him up, it sent the best kinds of butterflies loose in her belly and made her smile twitch up and stay on for the rest of the Akuma battle. She was half positive that she lived for the little moments.


	23. Celebrity Power Couple

She'd never expected any sort of picture of them to get out when they tended to keep more to themselves as far as their relationship went in order to avoid Hawkmoth and in order to just keep it under wraps, because one day, if an identity reveal is seen as a possibility, she'd definitely went to date him as Marinette and not Ladybug.

Just, it felt like a mess when a picture of her dropping Adrien off after a day out, leaning in for a kiss, spread all over the news by the next day, and somehow even Alya asked her about it, about whether it was okay to talk about, about whether she as okay with Ladybug dating Adrien.

After she'd given her consent, she hadn't expected it to blow up over the LadyBlog as everyone talked over what kinds of pairings they shipped, coining this new relationship as Ladrien. She'd never expected it to rise up in the polls and eventually become more popular than LadyNoir, but then again, she'd never expected anyone to see them kiss, ever, or at least not until Hawkmoth was defeated and an identity reveal was in order, then they'd only see Marinette and Adrien, and would be old enough to probably handle whether the press went sour or stayed sweet.

Ladybug couldn't believe quite how popular they were; news stations were begging for interviews to talk about their newfound relationship from both her and Adrien's perspective, and she still wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to dodge all of these issues.

Surprisingly enough, a few people compared to the massive amount of LadyNoir and Ladrien shippers still were determined since that viral sensation on the day that Gorizilla was the Akuma that Hawkmoth had controlled and since the Jagged Stone T.V. Special, argued that Adrinette was the true best ship for Adrien and that either Ladybug and Cat Noir should get together or that Adrien should 'wise' up and discover how wonderful the baker's daughter was.

Ladybug still wasn't sure what would happen the next time that she suited up though she was still kind of trying to avoid any interviews talking about her relationship as if she could get it to all blow over and as if she and Adrien could go back to just being in a secret relationship.

It was really, really hard to handle all of this mess when she kind of disagreed with the LadyNoir shippers, and when she found the Adrinette shippers to be very, very sweet. Ultimately, Adrinette hopefully would become a very real possibility sometime in the future, but she still wasn't sure about how to handle all of this attention.

* * *

Ladybug didn't feel at all prepared for any of this when after weeks and weeks, her relationship still was on the news and when it got to the point where after some impromptu interviews from Alya that she hadn't been able to avoid. She realized that while Hawkmoth had to know by this point that she had nothing holding her back from going on a 'real' date with Adrien.

She just kind of wished that they weren't all over the news, but she kind of couldn't avoid that now. Ladybug still wasn't sure how they'd avoided getting in trouble from Gabriel Agreste who didn't say much at all over his son's newfound relationship, nothing other than avoiding 'some' situations.

He'd probably want to meet her eventually, but he'd been treating it as if it was some kind of temporary thing, and Ladybug knew that eventually it would seem so for the rest of the world. It just kind of sucked to not get more than half hearted acknowledgement from what would hopefully be her future father-in-law, but she wouldn't demand for it. He didn't really play an active part in knowing his son well, and so may be it would just be fine to deal with it like it is.

Just, how much attention can one date get? Yeesh, she couldn't count all of the cameras pointed at them or all of the flashes from said cameras. Or even the amount of people coming up to them asking for autographs or telling them that they looked cute together, really cute together.

Ladybug just wondered if this would be their future now. At the very least even though the cameras were concerning and made it rather hard to talk to her boyfriend, all of the attention was positive or at least meant to be positive. May be one day it won't feel so awkward or all of this attention will dwindle, but for now, they were probably the most famous celebrity power couple in all of Paris, and Ladybug would just have to deal with it in the best way that she could.


	24. I Need To Transform Into Chat Noir But Y

**Day Twenty Four: I Need To Transform Into Chat Noir But You Won't Leave**

The Torch stood before them, all 3'3" inches of a child, and yet the terror that she caused throughout Paris was no joke, not with the flame billowing out from her head, or her angry, angry, inferno like eyes. She may be small and young, but she definitely wasn't an Akuma to be messed with or taken lightly, and while, it was pure coincidence that she was Akumatized in an apartment building not far from Adrien's photo shoot, Ladybug wasn't willing to take any chances.

"Do you think Cat Noir will get here soon?" Ladybug asked as she set Adrien down, frenzied eyes finding the Akuma's flames that from this rooftop could not be felt all that well. Up close, Ladybug may as well have been hanging out in the equator or in the core of the Earth. It was not a pretty picture to be standing there sweltering wondering if a flame is going to hit your face and not another building.

"I-I don't know." Adrien answered her as honestly as he could.

* * *

Adrien was not having a good day; his photo shoot had already run over due to a wide mix of things completely out of his control, some little girl got Akumatized over a video game, and was currently burning down at least half of Paris, and it definitely felt like it. He couldn't run off to transform, because Ladybug had gotten onto the scene much faster than he had somehow. His only guess was that she was at the park or nearby on the street when she'd seen the Akuma burn down her own apartment building, hopefully not roasting her parents.

While he certainly loved being close to Ladybug or being in her arms that was certainly dulled by an intense degree when Paris was on fire and burning to the ground. He was half positive that this was to break up the monotony of the photo shoot, because after a certain amount of hours trying to look 'pretty' for the camera and hold sometimes long or difficult poses, it got a little too monotone.

Though, he was also slightly worried that it was his bad luck shifting into his civilian life, but he couldn't really say too much about that.

Finally, Ladybug stood, presumably to either look for her missing partner that she's called at least three times already or to find a good angle of attack against The Torch that won't roast her yoyo or accidentally give Ladybug third degree burns. If Adrien had an idea, it might be best to attack her from the ground with either a quick shot while someone plays distraction so that she couldn't burn you or to may be douse her flames in fire assuming that they were normal flames.

He felt restless, but as soon as Ladybug's back was turned, he rushed behind the chimney on the roof, but before he could get more than "Cla-" out, the building was on fire, and Ladybug had pulled him away again, moving further away from the little girl and closer to the dead center of Paris.

"I'm so glad that she didn't get you." Ladybug sighed in relief beside him, and he smiled back at her though the warm fuzzies in his chest didn't get long to simmer when he remembered that there was still a fire based Akuma terrorizing Paris as if it were some wicked playground to destroy and as if those in it were school bullies.

Adrien was a hundred percent sure that he'd never met the girl before and thus could not be a school bully to her though he really, really needed to transform and no fun analogies would fix the problem and give him an opening to transform, "Me too."

He closed his eyes, said a quick prayer, and tried to hide behind the nearest tree since they hadn't landed on a building this time.

"Adrien, don't wander off. We don't want you torched." Whether she made a pun or not or effectively distracted him, he needed, needed to transform.

"I thought that I may be saw a..." He trailed off as his mind suddenly blanked, "A fountain. Yeah, a fountain over there." He pointed in a random direction.

"Water might help keep you a little safe." Ladybug's hands wrapped around his waist, and she effectively carried him in said direction until probably a mile or so later, she dropped him into the fountain, very carefully.

"Yeah," Adrien hadn't actually wanted to stand in the nearest fountain, and his dad would kill him, metaphorically of course, if he ruined these new clothes, and Ladybug was still right by his side. Could he shake her at all?

Her worry was touching and would leave him so, so happy for probably forever, but he really, really needed to get away and transform.

"So how about you go save Paris?" Adrien asked, hating the feeling that he was sending her off into a very dangerous situation without at least providing her back up, "I'll go find a fire resistant building, and hole myself away."

"Are you sure?" Ladybug's worried blue eyes just may haunt him.

"Y-Yeah, I think I saw Cat Noir a little while ago too, so you should be fine." He hated lying to her though technically whenever he looked in the mirror, he was looking at Cat Noir since he was both Adrien and Cat.

"Okay, if you're sure that you'll be fine." Ladybug finally relented, and Adrien almost did a little victory dance though when she leaned down and kissed his cheek and whispered the next two words, he wasn't sure that his mind could take it, "Be safe." May be the blush fried his brains and left him in a gooey state.

"'Bye." Finally left his lips, moments after she left, but still he somehow managed to find his jelly legs and join his partner later on. They did beat Torch, but Adrien was positive that he couldn't defeat the memories now plaguing him of Ladybug's lips gently brushing against his cheek.


	25. Quiet Night In

Some days when it felt like too much to leave the house and find something to do, usually after hectic Akuma filled days, or just busy work days, it was best to just stay home and find something to do. Usually that didn't mean that Ladybug was spending time with her husband, because she was normally detransformed.

Today was a large pile of stress, a day where she wanted peace and quiet in a way, and yet all that she wanted was to be right next to her husband.

"Ladybug, your turn." His cheeky smile was not at all necessary as she knew without a doubt he was winning, but she didn't mind too much. It was great for her husband when every now and again, he drew a lucky hand.

"Do you have a black cat, Kitty?" Ladybug couldn't resist as her competitive nature kicked in for her.

"Aww, how'd you know?" He handed over his black cat, and she set down her newly formed set of three.

"Lucky guess. Do you have a fox?" Ladybug hoped and hoped, but to no avail.

"No, I don't. Go fish, M'lady." Adrien smiled at his wife sitting right across from him.

"Okay," She sighed as she picked up a random card and deposited her turtles in their own pile: all two of them.

"So, Ladybug," Adrien began dramatically, and she could have called the next words that would come out of his mouth, "Do you have your namesake?"

She handed over her one ladybug, wincing when she realized that he only had two cards left, "Here you go."

He set down the ladybug with his one, "Do you have a bee?"

She'd swear luck was on his side today as she handed over her bees and watched as Adrien won with a bright smile on his face.

"Uno next?" Ladybug would win, she just had to. Some days, weren't for pulling out the game consoles and absolutely demolishing her husband at Ultimate Mecha Strike, some days wanted the peaceful, well sometimes peaceful and quiet nature of card games. Well, playing a version of Go Fish based off of them and some other Miraculous holders was still really weird, but when a fan had gifted them each a copy of the card game, it eventually came to the point that they had to play it. Rena still wouldn't play with them when they were all suited up, even Alya avoided it. Oh, well.

"I was hoping to play Bull." Adrien pouted, and Ladybug shook her head.

"You chose Go Fish, and besides that, you have a terrible poker face whenever we play." Modeling can only get you so far after all.

"Alright, you win." Adrien easily conceded, "Are you dealing this game?"

"Yeah, since you dealt for Go Fish." Ladybug easily grabbed the card pack off the table, glad that this game wasn't based off of them.

Honestly, Ladybug needed card game nights and cuddling afterwards until they both fell asleep, perfectly relaxed in the other's arms. Just some days called for being more relaxed, for just being together, no major plans, no public places, no needing to say another word to anyone else for a while.

Adrien accepted nights like these whenever she needed them, supported her, and loved her so, so much, and honestly, she done the same for him every time that he needed one. They rejuvenated them, relaxed them, and helped them carry on past the stresses for the next day, They also reminded them of how they'd fallen so hopelessly in love with the other, why they worked so hard for this marriage past secret identities that they no longer had to hide from each other, past work, Akuma fights, long patrols, past everything.

Adrien was worth if for Ladybug, worth finding time for and falling even more in love with, and these quiet nights were worth all of the not so quiet ones that they had as well, and for Adrien, Ladybug or when detransformed, Marinette was well worth quiet nights in, well worth finding time for past their busy schedules, well worth falling more in love with every day.


	26. Rooftop Date

May be celebrating your one month anniversary since getting married wasn't really common practice, but Ladybug would take her chances wherever and whenever they might come, so when she'd gotten home from work, she'd grabbed her husband and went out. While it probably made more sense to do so while not transformed, she had a plan to somehow make the date memorable, a plan that she'd started setting up last night actually.

The only thing that she had to grab and bring with them was a meal that she'd prepared this morning, and so to the rooftops they went. Spread out over the rooftop that she landed on with her husband in her arms was a table that she'd painstakingly got up there with a little bit of Rena's help the night before, two chairs right across from each other, and lights spread out over all of the remaining space, looking just like date that her kitty had set up for them back before they were dating, before identity reveals, the only difference were the table and chairs.

"Ladybug, Marinette." His voice went soft over her civilian name, "This is beautiful."

"I know that it's only been a month since we got married, but I wanted to celebrate our one month anniversary anyway. I wanted to surprise you." Her face flamed pink.

"This is wonderful." Adrien's voice toppled out, all soft, and all that Ladybug wanted to do was remember this night for the rest of her life. The first time since they'd gotten married that she'd gotten to take him out and really surprise him.

"You're wonderful." Unlike her teen years where she'd fumble and falter through those words, deny the way that she meant them, this time they were open and real, honest to the deepest part of her heart, and she'd never deny them anymore. There was no need, no point, to deny them when her heart burned with a love so strong that grew bit by bit, inch by inch, every single day spent with him.

"Thank you." Adrien smiled up at her, "I love you, Marinette." Hearing her name on his lips still affected her heart even after all this time, still made it race in her chest, and made her heart yearn for him all over again.

"I love you too, Adrien. I love you so much, Kitty." If he can throw around her civilian name, then she can throw around her nickname for his superhero self as she offered for him to take a seat that she'd push up to the table for him.

"I-I never expected this." Adrien murmured as he followed her guidance towards the chair, letting her remain in the lead.

"You surprised me with flowers on our second week anniversary, just let me surprise you for our one month one." She chided, and all that she hoped for was savoring every day together, many more 'surprise' anniversaries, many more days, weeks, months, years by each other's side. Love made her heart warm and left her feeling steady under its call.


	27. Personal Day: Consensual Kidnap

Not every day does your secret boyfriend have a personal day, a day off, to take him out.

'So is it fine if I go rescue my prince from his castle?' Marinette stared down at her burner phone, nerves unleashed inside her belly. How come she could now talk like this with him?

'Absolutely. I'm taking a nap.' The winky face that he sent at the end of that message made her belly just tremble with butterflies and made her so giddy. She loved him so much!

'Okay, you aren't actually taking a nap then?' Marinette typed out as quick as she could.

'Of couse not, what prince takes a nap when his knight in spots is about to whisk him off his feet and take him through the City of Love?' She almost wanted to squeal, and to think that years ago, she'd never seen herself as a knight or even wanted to be one.

'Obviously not the kind of prince you are.' She typed back a winking face and stood up, ready to transform and head out. May be one day, she won't just be a knight for her boyfriend, but his princess too.

* * *

"Hello, the knight you called for is here." She knocked on the door, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh, no. What would my father do if you were to kidnap me, oh, my beautiful knight?" Adrien teased as he stood up, perfectly dressed for a day out with his 'knight.'

"I don't know. Call an old fashioned search party?" She held her arms out for her boyfriend who grabbed his bag, presumably with some type of goodies in it for their date.

"Well, I wouldn't want to know." Adrien glanced back towards the door of his bedroom, "Just take me away."

Ladybug smiled, "Why certainly." She picked her boyfriend up into her arms before speeding away. She would have to bring him back before his father found out about him vanishing as she was positive that no one had asked permission before this 'kidnapping,' but she'd gladly spend the day with her boyfriend.

Never mind the fact that she'd rushed downstairs before leaving to tell her parents that she was heading out with a friend for the rest of the day. Thankfully, they hadn't seen her rush back upstairs and vanish through her balcony. That probably wouldn't have went all that well.

* * *

It didn't take long to find their special, little park that could hide them behind some trees, just outside of Paris. When she set down her boyfriend, truly the date began with some laughter, some chatter, some really good snacks that her boyfriend brought along and just some good, old fashioned time together.

As they talked about just everything under the moon and the stars and might as well above it, they drew closer and closer until, they finally brought their lips together in a series of sweet kisses.

Each one still had the ability to make Ladybug's head spin, make her forget which name was hers for the moment, make her toes curl, and cuddle closer with a soft sigh. Each one, each kiss, got her heart, every last inch and centimeter of it. She'd give it all to him a hundred times over.

Every kiss reminded her of the true bliss of dating the love of her life and came with a sealed up promise for a whole future beyond just Ladybug and Adrien, came with the promise for Adrien and Marinette whether Adrien knew it yet or not, and came with the promise that Ladybug didn't yet know of: Cat Noir and Ladybug. So many feelings came wrapped up in each kiss: love, joy, gentleness, and hope.

Ladybug could spend all day kissing her secret boyfriend if they didn't really have to get him home at some point, avoid being seen through Paris together, and avoid being caught dropping him off and likely stealing more kisses, as much as they could possibly claim.

She could spend everyday, hid away from prying eyes, enveloped in warm arms and a sweet kiss if the world would let her have this for just a moment more. Ladybug's heart sang from Adrien's arms and all that she wanted was to wrap him up tighter in her arms and have this moment last forever.

Even though, she'd have to bring him home later, they kissed as if they had the rest of their lives to spend out here, surrounded by trees, water so close to their feet.


	28. The Fall

Adrien's heart was in his throat more than it was in his chest as her knee brushed gently against his hip, sending tingles throughout his whole body. It didn't help that his heart went from slightly nervous stutters to joyous, crush fueled feelings when his trust in Ladybug was believed to be true, shown to be true.

Her arms held him steady and yet they were delicate too, sparking a kind of flame in his heart that would be hard to extinguish even if he tried to the best of his ability. This was Ladybug, strong, brave Ladybug, holding him much like a lady would, gentle delicate. It was like all of his wildest dreams came true in an instant, melding into one.

He wasn't sure if time had stilled from his place in her arms or if it was rushing to catch up with him and dash his excited dreams. All that he could imagine though was that it had to still be flowing despite what his heart said, despite the tingles in his hip that spread a kind of warmth and gentle fire all throughout him.

Ladybug was holding him, had saved him against all odds, and her arms had became his favorite haven. He never wanted to be anywhere else but this one moment with her. It was perfect and absolutely incredible. It made him feel undeniably alive.

His heart raced like nothing else within him, and he couldn't help but stare at the woman before him that felt like the most vivid version of reality that he could have dreamed up and yet it wasn't a dream. He felt like he was floating within her arms with how delicately, how dearly she held him and how slowly they descended. It beat the rapid fall of oncoming death any day, and so if she could always hold him like this, regardless of whether his heart exploded from sheer joy, he'd be so, so happy.

'Don't let go.' Became his soft anthem until she touched the ground and had to let go. At least, he had this to look back on, to thrill over, and fall even more in love with.


	29. Stuck

'Adrien's locked in that locker?' Ladybug's mind ran, 'Is he stuck?" Her gloved hands went to pull open the locker, and it wouldn't budge, just kind of rattled in place.

"Uh, Ladybug, is my bro stuck?" Nino asked from her side, and she glanced over towards the DJ to be.

"Y-Yeah, I think so." She sighed as she stared down at the lock, remembering just how to unlock it, but kind of scared that they'd pay that much attention to her knowing it as she spun to land on the correct code. It didn't unlock or open.

"Adrien, are you okay in there?" Ladybug asked finally as her frustration at his locker staying locked remained,

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." 'Shoot, when I hopped in, did I lock it? No one knows my code other than me. Plagg can't unlock me with others there, and I'm in a lot of trouble if I can't get out and help Ladybug. There goes my excuse of being hit by Zombizou and getting a chance to see if Ladybug would let me kiss her.'

"Okay, do you know how to unlock your locker or how to get out in some way? I don't want to leave you here." Ladybug would feel like a hopeless fool if she left her crush locked inside his own locker.

"Uh, here's the way to unlock my locker if it works." Adrien told her the numbers quietly and really hoped that no one memorized them from this one chance encounter. His bad luck wasn't supposed to be this bad.

He listened as Ladybug rotated the lock and followed the order that he'd told her, and yet it didn't unlock.

"I think it's jammed, Adrien." Ladybug sighed, "So that the lock doesn't work."

"Uh oh, I'm sorry for making you stay here. Go fight Zombizou, I'll try to find my way out." Adrien admitted to rather glumly.

"Are you sure, Adrien? The kiss mob just might find you first, and I'd hate to lose you." It sounded almost like a death scene in a romantic movie though Adrien couldn't quite help the thumping of his heart.

"I-I'll be fine." Adrien just hoped that that was true. How did no one else get locked in their lockers? Was it just his bad luck or the enthusiastic way, he may or may not have jumped into his locker when no one was looking? He did remember accidentally hitting his lock with his hand; may be he'd hit it out of place a little.

Either way, standing in his locker waiting for everyone to leave before transforming and Cataclysming it will absolutely suck especially since he'd have to retransform very soon after. He did pack spare Camembert before he left despite hating the smell, and he was just kind of bummed that he'd actually have to use it in order to go help out his Lady.


	30. Akumatized

"I can't do this anymore!" Adrien screamed as if to release all of the doubt, all of the anger, all of the frustration, that tried to cling to him and take him over.

"Kid, wait-" Plagg yelled back, trying to get his chosen to calm down, because this really, really wasn't the way to handle knowledge of who Hawkmoth is, and yet Adrien didn't listen, not as the ring was flung across the room, as it thudded with the wall, or as Plagg vanished mid-speech.

Adrien wasn't the sort to break down crying, wasn't the sort to really freak out like this, but this was the last straw to him. It just wasn't right! He wasn't supposed to be that way.

'Am I, like him? What if Ladybug leaves me, and I'm all alone? What if Mom never comes home? What if, what if, the black cat is the next one to go bad?' Adrien's fingers curled in over his hands before he undid them to hold them away from each other and yet they still curled up tighter and tighter shortly after as angry, stressed, and anxious tears rolled down his face. 'What if I'm just like him?'

Father or Dad or whatever wasn't enough, wasn't what he could call him anymore, and yet all that he could feel was a sort of terror in his heart. 'What if I'm the next bad guy that Ladybug has to face?' Just, he could be, couldn't he? His father was Hawkmoth; there was no in ands or buts about it. His father just was.  
He could understand that kind of desperation, that kind of sorrow, that would rock his father right down to the core and make him turn into Hawkmoth and yet he still knew better and yet if he had a Miraculous, really, really missed his mom during the few desperate months afterwards, he'd probably be right up there with him.

Adrien just wasn't sure anymore where his father started and where he started. What if he was just like his father? He already worried sometimes that he wouldn't be a good father one day though it rarely crossed his mind as he wasn't quite ready yet. Just, sometimes he thought of what his kids and Ladybug's would be like if they'd take after her. He'd argue that it would be better if they took more after their mom as Adrien was a big, jumbled up mess after the time or may be more than that lately.

He's fine with other people, but during the quiet moments alone, his mind could run rampant, so he'd had some distractions, talked to Plagg, or tried to rewind his mind to focus on Ladybug or on his friends. It was all that he could do to keep his mind from jumping to the edge of just where he never wanted it to go. Just now, all that he could think about were what ifs, possibilities that made his stomach curl in distaste, that made him want to vomit, and made him so, so irrationally angry and sad.

Adrien wanted an escape and yet none of this was quite the escape that he could have longed for.

* * *

Ladybug had just been during a routine patrol since she felt a little uneasy and restless; normally when she felt this way, Cat Noir would call with some news or they'd stumble upon an Akuma or something else and yet her belly twisted in dismay.

Tikki called it her bad guy radar once, intuition due to experience fighting so many different Akuma, due to being a superhero for so long. She just called it a bad feeling. It was much better than either taking it lightly or letting it sink just how long she'd been doing this.

She hated being able to tell when an Akuma might be running amuk through Paris. It was much easier to wait for the news, much less heart wrenching, as compared to these moments, just waiting for something to go wrong.

"Come on, come on, come on. Kitty, let me know." She sighed, staring down at her gloved hands and wishing that they weren't gloved so that she could bite them with the nerves that ran through her. She was half positive along with the good habits that being Ladybug instilled in her, there were the bad. Among the good were increased confidence even out of suit, a thrill for a hint of the unknown, being able to remember some of her old inspiration that hit her during an Akuma attack or while patrolling Paris for longer, and some good, old fashion self defense that kept her safe even outside of the suit and mask. Among the bad were a true sense of when danger was coming up, self defense because she actually needed it, nail biting, paranoia, nerves, and whatever else that she couldn't name in her agitation.

She sighed as she tried to distract herself from the pit inside of her stomach as she looked back over Paris and kept searching. 'It had to be somewhere.'

Finally, her search was rewarded in the worst kind of way. Standing not far from his mansion, stood an Akumatized, floofy Adrien. Presumably all of the big, fluffy looking armor was to keep him safe from a fight, but really just looked tacky.

His bright green eyes finally found hers, "You know this world would be a lot better if we just got rid of the people that have so much control over us. My father, you, Ladybug, and whoever else can make me just feel this awful."

'Oh, no.' Ladybug's belly rolled, and she hated this, because she'd have to fight Adrien and whoever had did that to him broke him down completely into practically nothing and Hawkmoth built his own version of a protective wall around him. It hurt.

"Adrien, listen to me. The people that have so much control over you, that you love so much," Her belly rolled for a whole different reason as nerves hit her at the realization that he really, really did love her, "They do have the ability to make you so, so happy, to love you past this, whatever it is. So don't just think of us as bad. We love you." The realization that she was sort of confessing to an Akumatized Adrien didn't nothing for her shot nerves. She really did begin to wonder if his father was the one that had hurt him. Her heart ached so terribly at the thought.

"Ladybug," His voice echoed almost robotically, "You don't love me. You'll just leave me like Mom did or turn away from me like Father did. You won't be there for me in a few years. You'll leave or I'll turn evil or you'll turn evil. I can't have that, not again."

'Turn evil?' Her mind spun around and around in a big circle. Turn evil had to mean something; Akumas didn't come up with junk without there being some kind of truth to it. Was his father evil since his mother currently wasn't in the picture? Her stomach rolled, because turn evil likely meant being Hawkmoth unless, unless, his father treated him worse than she could have ever imagined. Or he could just mean Chloe, but he hadn't mentioned her as of yet, so that was likely a bust there.

"I won't turn evil. I love you, Adrien." Confessing again and trying to talk sense to an Akuma; it didn't help that he wouldn't remember being an Akuma, it just made nerves hit her worse. Besides, any nearby Parisians could likely hear her, and someone would report it to Alya, and it would go on the LadyBlog.

"That's what they all say. That's what he used to tell me, that he loved me, and that didn't stop anything." Adrien spat out, and all that she could see was a hurting boy that she loved, that she really wished wasn't hurting.

"Adrien." Came out in a murmur from her lips, and she headed closer towards him against better judgement, against being familiar with Akumas, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer into a tight hug.

"L-Ladybug?" He mumbled before Hawkmoth likely got to him again and his hands came awfully close to her earrings, trying to steal her Miraculous against whatever Adrien felt. Sometimes, Hawkmoth made her feel sick to her stomach.

Ladybug stepped back, reaching for her yoyo and grabbing his phone and smashing it. Out fluttered a little Akuma, and Ladybug was immensely glad that despite Hawkmoth's control, despite Adrien's cold words, that he wasn't the type to put up much of a fight as an Akuma. He likely still didn't want to hurt her or was still sad enough to not attack her.

She stepped closer again as her crush fell onto his knees, head in his hands as if he had a headache and he very well could have, "A-Are you okay?"

"Ladybug." He glanced up at her, and the tears in his eyes done her heart in as she stepped closer and dropped onto her knees, wrapping him back up in her arms.

"Adrien, I-I won't leave you or go bad on you." She took a deep breath, "Before you hear this from anyone else, I love you. I love you even though we aren't dating, and even though we're just friends outside of the suit." Her arms squeezed him tighter against her.

"Ladybug?" He asked weakly, arms wrapping tenderly around her, "You love me, and we know each other? Outside of the masks, I mean." Adrien fumbled for words, "I mean, outside of your mask."  
"Yes." She ran gloved hands through his hair, "You can trust me. I know I'm just one person, and that I can't predict the future, but I do love you, and I'll be here in whatever way you need me to be. As a friend, as a girlfriend, or whatever. I won't abandon you. I couldn't bear with myself if I did."

"M'lady." Tumbled from his mouth and despite everything, even with what all of this said to her, she loved him, and she knew that they'd be fine. Her feelings for him hit her hard one day under a black umbrella, but the choice to love him despite anything, to be there for him regardless of however he saw her, came much later.

Love had a brand new meaning to her now, a much deeper meaning, since becoming Ladybug, since realizing that her parents weren't all nervous butterflies and sweet kisses, They had fought sometimes, and they had to have made the choice at least once that their marriage, their love, meant way more than just butterflies on a first date, they had to have prioritized it, chosen each other, flaws and all.

As Ladybug, life sometimes felt a little short, and so she'd try to give her all, love Adrien, the good, the bad, the ugly, and through every fight and heart ache. Love between two people could be flawed, and that's why it took real effort, real strength, to keep it going strong.


End file.
